ARLY    VOYAGES    UP    AND 
DOWN    THE    MISSISSIPPI, 

by    CAVELIER,    ST.   COSME,   LE 
SUEUR,  GRAVIER,  and  GUIGNAS.      With 

an   Introduction,  Notes,  and  an  Index  by 

t  J 

JOHN  GILMARY  SHEA. 


CTOR1CAL  SURVEY 


EARLY   VOYAGES 

UP  AND  DOWN  THE  MISSISSIPPI, 

BY 

CAVELIER,  ST.   COSME,   LE  SUEUR, 
GRAVIER,  AND  GUIGNAS. 

With  an  Introduction,  Notes,  and  an  Index, 

BY  JOHN  GILMARY  SHEA. 


ALBANY : 

JOEL    MUNSELL. 
1861 


Five  hundred  copies 
reprinted  for 

Joseph  McDonough 

Albany,  N.  Y. 

1902 


TO    THE 

MICHIGAN,  WISCONSIN,  AND  IOWA 
HISTORICAL  SOCIETIES, 

AS    A    TOKEN    OF    MEMBERSHIP, 

THIS    VOLUME    IS    OFFERED 
BY 

JOHN  GILMARY  SHEA. 


CONTENTS. 

P«ge, 

Preface,     -      -  5 

Introduction,  7 

I.  Cavelier's  account  of  La  Salle's  Voyage  to  the 

Mouth  of  the  Mifliflippi ;   his  landing  in 
Texas  and  march  to  the  Mifliflippi,  13 

II.  Voyage  down  the  Mifliflippi  in  1699,  by  the 

Rev.  Meflrs.  Montigny,   St.  Cofme,   Da- 
vion  and  Thaumur  de  la  Source,     -     -         43 

III.  Le  Sueur's    Voyage   up    the    Mifliflippi    in 

1699-1700,  87 

IV.  Gravier's  Voyage  down  and  up  the  Miflif- 

iippi  in  1700,  113 

V.  Guignas's  Voyage  up  the  Mifliflippi,  165 
Appendix,   Letter  of  La  Salle  from  Texas,  177 


B 


PREFACE. 


HE  Narratives  collected  in 
this  Volume  form  a  Sequel  to 
thofe  Accounts  already  publijhed  of 
the  Explorations  under  Marquette 
and  La  Salle^  and  refer  chiefly  to  the  Mo- 
ment of  the  permanent  French  Occupation 
of  the  Lower  Mijfijjippi.  They  are  derived 
from  various  Sources.  The  Journal  of  Mr. 
John  Cavelier,  La  Sallis  Brother ',  though 
fpoken  of  by  Joutel^  remained  unpublijhed 
till  Mr.  Francis  Parkman  allowed  me  to 
Print  it  from  a  Manufcript  in  his  PoJJeJfion. 
The  Letters  of  Mr.  de  Montigni  of  the  Se- 
minary of  Quebec  and  his  Affociates^  I  owe  to 


viii  Preface. 

the  Kindnefs  of  the  fame  Friend.  Lie  Sueur's 
Voyage  is  taken  from  Benard  de  la  Harpe, 
already  in  Print.  *The  Voyage  of  Gravier 
is  from  the  limited  Edition  printed  from  the 
Manufcript  in  the  Profeffed  Houfe  in  Paris. 
The  Letter  of  Father  Guignas^  detailing  as 
it  does  the  Eftablijhment  of  Fort  Beauharnais 
at  Lake  Pepin^  'was  furnijhed  to  me  by  the 
Kindnefs  of  J.  Carfon  Brevoort^  Efq. 

While  this  Volume  'was  printing,  Col. 
Delafield  fent  me  Tomafffs  Geologic  Pra- 
tique de  la  Louifiane,  which  I  had  been 
unable  to  procure  here  in  Seafon,  and  from 
it  I  extraEled  the  Letter  of  La  Salles  given 
in  the  Appendix ',  and  which  refers  direStly 
to  the  fir  ft  Article. 

New  York,  1861. 


INTRODUCTION. 


ANY  a  river  lives  embalmed  in 
hiftory  and  in  hiftorick  verfe. 
The  Euphrates,  the  Nile,  the 
Jordan,  the  Tiber  and  the  Rhine 
typify  the  courfe  of  empires  and 
dynafties.  Countries  have  been 
defcribed  per  flumina,  but  thefe  ftreams  poffefs 
renown  rather  from  fome  city  that  frowned  on 
their  currents,  or  fome  battle  fought  and  won  on 
their  banks.  The  great  River  of  our  Weft,  from 
its  immenfe  length  and  the  ftill  increafing  import- 
ance of  its  valley,  polTefles  a  hiftory  of  its  own.  Its 
difcovery  by  the  Spanim  adventurers,  a  Cabeza  de 
Vaca,  a  de  Soto,  a  Triftan,  who  reached,  croffed,  or 
followed  it,  is  its  period  of  early  romance,  brilliant, 
brief,  and  tragick.  Its  exploration  by  Marquette 
and  La  Salle  follows,  work  of  patient  endurance  and 


viii  IntroduBion. 

inveftigation,  ftill  tinged  with  that  light  of  heroifm 
that  hovers  around  all  who  ftruggle  through  diffi- 
culty and  adverfity  to  attain  a  great  and  ufeful  end. 
Then  come  the  early  voyages  depicting  the  fuccefli  ve 
ftages  of  its  banks  from  a  wildernefs  to  civilization. 

The  death  of  La  Salle  in  Texas  in  his  attempt 
to  reach  Illinois  clofes  the  chapter  of  exploration. 
Iberville  opens  a  new  period  by  his  voyage  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Miffiffippi,  which  crowning  the  pre- 
vious efforts  gave  the  valley  of  the  great  river  to 
civilization,  Chriftianity  and  progrefs.  The  river 
had  become  an  object  of  rivalry.  Englim,  French 
and  Spanifh  at  the  fame  moment  fought  to  fecure 
its  mouth,  but  fortune  favored  the  bold  Canadian, 
and  the  white  flag  reared  by  La  Salle  was  planted 
anew. 

Here  our  narratives  begin.  Cavelier's  is  a  page  of 
the  previous  chapter;  with  ftrange  details  and 
doubtful  authenticity,  marked,  like  every  other  ac- 
count of  La  Salle's  career,  with  a  note  of  futpicion, 
yet  curious  and  ftrange.  Did  La  Salle  actually 
reach  the  Miffiffippi  prior  to  his  death,  as  here 
aflerted  ?  We  may  doubt  it. 

After  Cavelier  and  Joutel  reached  Illinois  to  de- 
ceive Tonti  by  reprefenting  La  Salle  as  alive,  that 


IntroduElion*  ix 

noble  veteran  defcended  the  river  to  relieve  his 
Commander,  but  in  vain. 

Traders  then  doubtlefs  drifted  down  to  barter  for 
furs,  but  we  have  no  narrative  till  that  of  the  mif- 
fionary  party  led  by  M.  de  Montigny,  who  in  1698 
fet  out  to  evangelize  the  tribes  of  the  lower  Miffif- 
fippi.  Impetuous,  ardent,  but  eafily  difcouraged, 
the  leader  foon  loft  heart,  and  involved  in  difputes 
which  he  did  not  forefee,  fought  a  remote  field  in 
Afia  for  his  zeal,  to  be  plunged  in  troubles  even 
more  vexatious.  But  his  companions  remained  to 
labor  on  the  banks  of  the  Mifliffippi,  St.  Cofme  to 
die  at  lafl  by  the  hand  of  the  red  man,  Davion  and 
de  la  Source  to  labour  and  to  wait. 

Iberville  arrives.  His  narrative  would  here  find 
a  place,  but  it  is  a  volume  in  itfelf.  The  news  of 
his  landing  fpread  from  tribe  to  tribe.  The  north* 
ern  nations,  led  by  the  golden  promifes  of  La  Salle, 
expected  all  bleflings  from  this  ftep.  The  Illinois 
prepared  to  move  in  a  body  to  the  lower  Mifliffippi. 
Gravier  checks  their  mad  project  and  floats  down 
in  his  canoe  to  fee  how  matters  are.  His  journal, 
like  the  letters  of  St.  Cofme  and  his  companions, 
defcribe  the  river  and  the  tribes  upon  it,  as  he 
found  them  at  this  important  moment  in  the  hiftory 


x  IntroduElton. 

of  the  river.  His  next  voyage  down  was  to  feek 
in  the  new  colony  furgical  afllftance  for  wounds 
which  the  medicine  men  had  inflicted,  and  which 
baffling  the  fkill  of  the  phyfician  proved  fatal  to  the 
miflionary. 

Befides  Iberville's  own  account  and  as  a  pendant 
to  it,  comes  the  voyage  from  the  mouth  of  the 
MifTiflippi  to  the  Blue  Earth,  effected  in  canoe  by 
the  intrepid  Le  Sueur.  Fortunately  Benard  de  la 
Harpe  has  preferved  this,  and  it  blends  with  the 
others  to  give  a  complete  picture  of  the  river. 

Then  for  fome  years  itineraries  of  the  Miffifiippi 
fail  us,  and  we  have  accounts  of  portions  only. 
The  Urfulines  defcribe  briefly  the  voyage  to  New 
Orleans,  others  do  the  fame ;  an  officer  in  the 
Chickafaw  war  details  day  by  day  the  march  up  the 
river  to  Fort  AfTumption.  The  letter  of  Guignas 
follows  in  part  the  track  of  Le  Sueur,  and  records 
the  planting  of  Fort  Beauharnais. 

At  the  moment  when  thefe  narratives  take  us  to 
the  valley  of  the  Mifliffippi  that  immenfe  territory 
prefented  a  ftrange  contraft  to  its  prefent  condition. 
From  its  head  waters  amid  the  lakes  of  Minnefota 
to  its  mouth ;  from  its  weftern  fprings  in  the  heart 
of  the  Rocky  mountains  to  its  eaftern  cradle  in  the 


Introduction.  xi 

'Alleghanies,  all  was  yet  in  its  primeval  ftate.  The 
Europeans  had  but  one  fpot,  Tonty's  little  fort ;  no 
white  men  roamed  it  but  the  trader  or  the  miffion- 
ary.  With  a  fparfe  and  fcattered  Indian  population, 
the  country,  teeming  with  buffalo,  deer  and  game, 
was  a  fcene  of  plenty.  The  Indian  has  vanifhed 
from  its  banks  with  the  game  that  he  purfued. 
The  valley  numbers  as  many  ftates  now  as  it  did 
white  men  then ;  a  bufy,  enterprifing,  adventurous 
population,  numbering  its  millions,  has  fwept  away 
the  unprogreffive  and  unaflimilating  red  man.  The 
languages  of  the  Illinois,  the  Quapaw,  the  Tonica, 
the  Natchez,  the  Ouma,  are  heard  no  more  by  the 
banks  of  the  great  water ;  no  calumet  now  throws 
round  the  traveller  its  charmed  power;  the  white 
banner  of  France  floated  long  to  the  breeze,  but  with 
the  flag  of  England  and  the  ftandard  of  Spain  all  dif- 
appeared  we  may  fay  within  a  century.  For  fifty 
years,  one  fmgle  flag  met  the  eye,  and  appealed  to  the 
heart  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  mores  of  the  Miffif- 
lippi.  Two  now  divide  it :  let  us  hope  that  the 
altered  flag  may  foon  refume  its  original  form,  and 
meet  the  heart's  warm  refponfe  at  the  mouth  as  at 
the  fource  of  the  Mifliflippi. 


I. 

CAVELIER'S    ACCOUNT 

OP 

LA  SALLE'S  VOYAGE 


TO   THE 


MOUTH    OF     THE     MISSISSIPPI,    HIS    LANDING     IN 
TEXAS,   AND    MARCH    TO    THE    MISSISSIPPI. 


RELATION 

OF 

M,    CAVELIER. 


ONSEIGNEUR : 

You  have  here  the  Relation 
of  the  Voyage  undertaken  by  my 
brother2  to  difcover  in  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico  the  Mouth  of  the 
Miffiffipy.  An  unexpected  and 
tragical  death  having  prevented 
his  completing  it,  and  reporting  to  your  Lordfhip, 
you  will,  I  truft,  approve  of  my  taking  his  place. 


i  The  Rev.  John  Cavelier, 
brother  of  La  Salle,  was  born  at 
Rouen.  Of  his  early  life  and  en- 
trance into  the  community  of  St. 
Sulpice,  I  find  no  account.  After 
the  death  of  his  brother,  he  with 
Joutel  and  Father  Anaftatius  made 
his  way  to  Canada,  and  thence  to 
France,  concealing  the  fate  of  La 
Salle,  it  is  faid,  for  upwards  of  two 
years.  He  applied  to  the  Court  to 
fend  out  a  new  expedition,  and  fail- 


ing in  this  he  retired  to  Rouen,  to 
the  houfe  of  his  fifter,  Mary  Mag- 
dalen Cavelier,  wife  of  the  Sieur 
Fortin  or  Le  Foreftier,  Secretary  to 
the  King,  and  died  there  after  1717. 

*  Robert  Cavelier  de  la  Salle, 
was  born  at  Rouen  in  Normandy, 
of  a  rich  and  ancient  family,  and 
after  receiving  a  good  education 
entered  the  King's  fervice.  The 
ftatement  made  by  the  late  edi- 


1 6  L,a  Sallys  Loft  Voyage. 

In  the  month  of  July,  1684,2  we  left  la  Rochelle 
in  four  veffels  with  very  fine  weather.  The  feafon 
feemed  to  promife  us  a  continuance  thereof,  and 
ihould  not  in  all  probability  lead  us  to  fear  either 


July, 
1684. 


dons  of  Hennepin,  that  he  enter- 
ed the  Society  of  Jefus  and  thus 
loft  his  fhare  in  his  father's  eftate, 
feems,  like  other  ftatements  of  that 
work,  unreliable.  An  examination 
of  all  the  annual  catalogues  of  all 
the  French  provinces  of  the  epoch, 
(hows  no  fuch  name  among  the 
novices  or  fcholaftics.  The  pre- 
ceding note  and  this  narrative  men- 
don  all  his  relatives  of  whom  any 
account  is  given.  He  came  to  Ca- 
nada about  1668,  and  an  appa- 
rently apocryphal  account  makes 
him  foon  after  discover  and  defcend 
the  Ohio  (  fee  Duffieux,  Le  Canada 
fous  le  domination  Francaife).  As 
a  trader  he  voyaged  extenfively  on 
the  Lakes,  and  built  a  trading  houfe 
at  La  Chine,  which  owes  its  name 
to  him,  an  index  of  his  defires. 
His  firft  official  employment  was  to 
vifit  the  Senecas,  and  invite  them  to 
a  general  Congrefs  of  the  tribes. 
He  had  gained  the  good  will  of 
Frontenac  and  propofed  to  him  vaft 
plans  of  difcovery  and  trade,  which 
received  his  fanftion.  The  French 
Court  in  1675,  granted  him  Fort 
Frontenac  and  the  feigneury,  on 
condition  of  keeping  it  in  repair, 
maintaining  a  garrifon  and  clearing 
the  land.  He  obtained  alfo  a  pa- 
tent of  noblefle.  For  a  time  he 
pufhed  forward  trade  and  coloniza- 
tion at  Fort  Frontenac  (now  King- 
fton)  and  built  the  firft  veflel  that 
ever  ploughed  the  furface  of  Lake 


Ontario.  Obtaining  new  grants  in 
1678,  he  pumed  on  to  Niagara, 
built  a  veflel  there,  and  again  the 
pioneer  of  \veftern  navigation,  failed 
through  Lakes  Erie,  St.  Clair  and 
Huron  to  Mackinac.  Sending  bark 
his  veflel  with  a  load  of  furs,  he 
proceeded  in  canoes  to  the  Illinois 
country,  building  a  fort  on  the  St. 
Jofeph's  river,  and  another  on  the 
Illinois,  whofe  name,  Crevecceur, 
records  his  defpondency  at  receiving 
no  tidings  of  his  bark  or  fupplies 
from  Frontenac.  Left  unfupported, 
he  returned  by  land  to  his  fort  on 
Lake  Ontario ;  but  while  abfent  his 
party  were  driven  from  the  Illinois 
by  the  Senecas,  and  La  Salle  on  his 
arrival  at  Fort  Crevecceur  found  it 
deferted.  After  fome  fearch  he 
joined  Tonty  at  Mackinaw.  Here 
reorganizing  his  party  he  defcended 
the  Illinois  To  the  Mifliffippi,  and 
followed  that  river  to  its  mouth, 
which  he  reached  April  9,  1682. 
Returning  to  France,  he  fought  to 
make  the  mouth  of  the  river  by 
fea.  He  failed  to  difcover  it,  was 
abandoned  in  Texas,  and  in  an 
attempt  to  reach  Canada,  was  killed 
by  his  own  men,  March  19,  1687. 
See  his  Life  by  Sparks,  vol  i.  N.  S. 
American  Biography,  "The  Dif- 
covery and  Exploration  of  the  Mif- 
fiffippi,"  &c. 

3  In  another  Memoir  he  gives 
the  date  as  July  23  or  24. 


Cavelier*s  Account.  17 

a  calm  or  great  heats.  Neverthelefs  the  clofe 
of  the  month  brought  a  ftorm,  which  difmafled 
the  veflfel4  my  brother  was  in,  and  compelled  us 
all  to  put  back  to  the  port  from  which  we  had 
ftarted.s  We  fet  fail  again,  and  a  few  days  after  a 
fecond  ftorm  difperfed  our  little  fleet;  the  St. 
Fran9ois6  was  taken  by  Spanifh  cruifers,  and  the 
other  three  got  together  only  at  Petit  Goave  in 
St.  Domingo.  I  will  not  give  your  Lordfhip  the 
detail  of  our  courfe  or  manoeuvres  to  that  point,  as 
that  is  not  my  profefiion. 

If  thefe  unfortunate  accidents  damped  the  ardor 
of  our  adventurers,  the  conduct  of  Mr.  de  Beaujeu, 
Captain  of  a  fhip  of  the  line,*  who  commanded  one 
of  the  mips  of  the  fleet,  did  fo  no  lefs ;  and  if  your 
Lordfhip  takes  pains  to  examine,  you  will  find  that 
that  officer,  jealous  of  my  brothers  having  the 
principal  authority  and  the  direction  of  the  enter- 
prife,  fo  traverfed  it,  that  the  failure  may  be  attri- 
buted to  him.8 

4  This  veflel  was  le  Joli,   com-         6  This  Ketch  contained  provi- 
manded   by  Mr.  de  Beaujeu,   the  fions   and  agricultural  implements 
Commander  of  the  fleet,  whofe  per-  for  the  colony,  and  the  lofs  was 
verfenefs  caufed  the  ruin  of  all  con-  confequently  a  ferious  one. 
cerned.     Toutel,  p.  I  c,  and  Cave-         „  T    „  ,        ./-,,. 

Her,  in  another  Memoir,  hint  that  .  7  ft*1  .™d  Cavelier  in  ano- 
the  breaking  of  the  foremaft  was  ^Memoir,  dilate  on  the  trouble 
nlanned  w  Beaujeu,  and  Cavelier  there  in- 

troduces a  particular  account  of  La 

5  Joutel  fays  they  put  in  at  Roche-     Sa.lle's  danSerous  illnefs  at  St-  Do- 
fort,  p.  1 5.     Father  Le  Clercq  fays 

at  Chef-de-bois,  which  agrees  with  8  The  French  diftinguifli  as  dif- 
Cavelier ;  Chef-de-bois  being  the  ferent  ranks  Captain  of  a  frigate  and 
roadftead  beforeSa  Rochelle.  Captain  of  a  man-of-war  or  (hip  of 

the  line. 


La  Salles  Lafl  Voyage. 

made  fome  flay  at  Petit  Goave  to  give  our 
crew  a  little  refrefliment  and  to  prepare  to  carry 
out  the  project  conveniently.  There  Mr.  de  Beaujeu 
began  to  employ  all  means  that  he  could  invent  to 
prevent  my  brother  from  going  further ;  neverthe- 
lefs  we  fet  fail  towards  the  latter  part  of  November, 
intending  to  reconnoitre  the  land  ten  or  twenty 
leagues  north  of  the  mouth  of  the  river,  but  head 
winds  having  forced  us  to  put  back  feveral  times ; 
my  brother  at  laft  determined  to  explore  Florida, 
whatever  point  we  made,  but  Mr.  de  Beaujeu  did 
not  follow  him.  He  abandoned  us,  under  pretext 
of  having  been  furprifed  by  a  fquall. 
l68s-  On  the  fixth  of  January,*  we  made  the  coaft  of 
Florida,  and  fuppofing  ourfelves  north  of  the  mouth 
of  the  river,  we  failed  foutherly  along  the  coaft, 
crowding  fail,  for  fear  of  being  forced  by  the  cur- 
rents into  Bahama  channel.  Some  days  after,  on 
taking  the  altitude,  we  found  ourfelves  fifty  leagues 
fouth,  which  obliged  us  to  turn  back  and  retrace  our 
.Feb  fteps.  Still  coafting  along,  wea  difcovered  Efpiritu 
Santo  Bay,10  where  we  found  Mr.  de  Beaujeu ;  my 
brother  had  a  long  conference  with  him  there,  at 
the  clofe  of  which  the  three  veflels  fet  fail  to  pur- 
fue  the  fearch. 

The  next  morning  Mr.  de  Beaujeu  fent  his  long 
boat  to  my  brother  to  tell  him  that  he  had  failed 
fifty  leagues  fince  he  left  Efpiritu  Santo  Bay,  and 
that  difcovering  inland,  a  kind  of  gulf  or  river,  it 

9  Joutel,  p.  34,  makes  them  reach         10  Joutel  fays  January  8. 
Itnd  in  December. 


Cavelier's  Account.  19 


might  be  the  Miffiffipy,  and  that  he  had  no  orders 

°  r        i  f  i  11  i    i   •       r  ir  l685- 

to  go  any  further  ;  my  brother  allowed  himfelf  to 
be  perfuaded  that  this  might  be  one  of  the  arms  of 
that  'river;  and  having  fent  out  his  boat  to  found, 
he  found  three  and  a  half  fathoms  of  water  in  the 
flialloweft  part  of  the  channel,  and  entered  with 
his  vefleL  He  ordered  the  pink  to  unload  as  much 
as  poffible,  and  to  wait  till  he  fent  a  pilot  to  bring 
her  in,  but  this  was  fo  badly  done  that  me  ftruck 
on  a  fand  bar  and  could  not  get  off.11 

Meanwhile  Mr.  de  Beaujeu,  who  had  anchored 
off,  wrote  to  my  brother,  and  fent  the  letter  by  his 
lieutenant.1*  He  told  him,  that  having  reached 
the  mouth  of  the  Miffiffipy  he  believed  that  he  had 
fufficiently  fulfilled  his  duty  ;  that  having  feen  the 
pink  perifh  before  his  eyes,  he  did  not  think  it 
proper  to  rifk  entering  the  river  with  his  fhip,  for 
fear  of  a  like  mifhap  :  that  having  no  more  provi- 
fions  or  refremments,  he  was  determined  to  return 
to  France,  and  he  begged  him  to  fend  his  letters 
for  the  Court,  with  his  exoneration  from  all  the 
accidents  that  had  happened,  or  might  thereafter 
happen.  My  brother  rnoft  generoufly  granted  all. 

Monfieur  de  Beaujeu  having  accordingly  hoifled 
fail  for  France,13  my  brother  undertook  to  do  three  March  i4. 

njoutel,  p.  79,  andLeClercqin-  Dainmaville  and  fome  others,  and 
cline  to  think  the  lofs  of  the  Aimable  refufed  to  give  La  Salle  the  cannon 
intentional  on  the  part  of  the  captain,  and  cannon  balls  in  his  hold. 

»a  The  Chevalier  d'Aire.    Beau-         *  3  Le  Clercq  fays  the  1  2th  ;  Joutel 
Jeu  took  with  him  the  captain  and     from  recolledUon,  the  i^th, 
crew  of  the  Aimable,   Rev.  Mr. 


2C  La  Salle's  Loft  Voyage. 

March,  things  at  once  :  one  was  to   make  a  ftorehoufe  on 
1685.  /,     b      •  ,  i  •  •  •  -r 

more  to  lay  up  his   ammunition   and  proviiions, 

merchandife  and  other  things ;  the  other  was  to  go 
himfelf  with  thirty  or  forty  men  to  feledt  a  fuitable 
place  for  a  fettlement  at  the  end  of  the  bay ;  and 
the  other  to  bring  his  veflel  as  far  as  he  could  into 
the  bay.  All  this  was  executed ;  for  the  veflel  was 
brought  up  to  the  mouth  of  a  river  to  which  the 
name  of  Vacbe**  (Cow)  was  given,  on  account  of 
the  number  of  that  animal  found  there,  and  here 
he  built  a  little  fort  of  fourteen  guns,  with  fmall 
but  pretty  convenient  houfes,  and  ftorehoufes  fuffi- 
cient  to  contain  all  that  we  had.15 

Meanwhile  my  brother,  originally  under  the  idea 
that  the  river  we  were  in  was  one  of  the  arms 
of  the  Mifliffipy,  on  account  of  the  quantity  of 
reeds  it  bore  down  to  the  fea,  at  laft  faw  his  error 
and  formed  the  defign  of  difcovering  it  by  land ; 
but  unable  to  leave  his  fort  without  expofing  it  to 
the  infults  of  the  neareft  Indians,  who  were  waging 
a  cruel  war  on  usl6a  (believing  us  Spaniards),  he 
arrow*.  endeavored  to  gain  their  confidence  and  friendmip. 

^Afterwards  called  by  the  Span-  fiffippi,  p.  207)  both  defcribe  this 

iards  La  Vaca  river,  which  name  it  Fort   as  St.  Louis.     According  to 

ftill  retains,  the  only  name  in  Texas  the  former  it  was  at  27°  N.,  two 

of  La   Salle's.     The   Vacbe  here  leagues  from  the  Bay,  near  the  banks 

evidently  means  the  Bifon,  though  of  La  Vaca  river,  .which  lay  north  of 

in  Canada  the  Vache  Sauvage  was  it,  a  marfh  and  hill  lying  between 

the  Moofe.     Joutel  (p,  113)  calls  them, 
it,  Riviere  aitx  Bceufs. 

1 6  Joutel  mentions  two  by  name, 

1 5  Joutel   (p.  126)   and  Father  Meflrs.  Oris  and  Defloges, 
Anaftafius  (Difcovery  of  the  Mif~ 


ten 


Cavelier's  Account.  21 

Your  Lordfliip  knows  that  he  has  an  admirable 
tact  for  that.  He  employed  it  fo  adroitly  in  this 
conjuncture,  that  before  the  clofe  of  July  we  mu- 
tually vifited  each  other ;  we  often  went  to  their 
village,b  '7  which  was  quite  near  our  fort  (which 
we  will  in  future  call  Fort  of  St.  Louis  Bay),18  and 
one  day  they  offered  to  guide  my  brother  to  a 
neighboring  nation,  their  ally,  only  about  fifteen 
leagues  off,  to  mow  him,  they  faid,  curious  things. 
My  brother  accepted  their  offer,  thanked  them  for 
the  friendfhip  they  teftified,  and  made  them  fome 
prefents ;  after  which  fetting  out19  to  the  number  of 
twenty-four,  accompanied  by  a  troop  of  Indians, 
we  arrived  at  a  large  village,  furrounded  by  a  kind 
of  wall  made  with  potter's  clay  and  fand,  fortified 
with  little  towers  at  intervals,  where  we  found 
fattened  to  a  poft  the  arms  of  Spain  engraved  on 
a  copper  plate,  dated  1588. 

The  people  welcomed  us  and  mowed  us  fome 
hammers  and  an  anvil,  two  fmall  pieces  of  iron 
cannon,  a  fmall  bronze  culverine,  fpearheads,  old 
fword  blades  and  fome  volumes  of  Spanifh  comedies; 
and  leading  us  thence  to  a  little  fiming  hamlet 
about  two  leagues  off,  they  mowed  us  a  fecond  poft 

i7Thefe  Bracamos  arc  not  men-  mentions  the  Bahamos  and  Quinets 

tioned   by   name   by  Joutel.     He  as  hoftile  nations, 
elfewherefpeaksof  the  Hebahamos ;         lggt  Louis  g       ^  ^^  fa 

and  Barcia    (Enfayo  Cronologico,  ^  s      iards  Ef'iritu  Santo  B   ' 

p.  294)  %s  that  the  fort  was  in  the  ^  £          whfi£  La  g^         ^ 

territory  of  the  Oudanhubeches  and  he      J£  Matagorda  Bay. 
Bahamos.     Father  Anaftafius  (Dif- 
covery  of  the  Miffiffippi,   p.   209)         1 9  In  Oftober,  apparently. 

D 


22  La  Sallys  La  ft  Voyage. 


ch»  alfo  bearing  the  arms  of  Spain  and  fome  old  chim- 
neys.20 All  this  convinced  us  that  the  Spaniards 
had  been  there  before.  They  alfo  gave  us  to  un- 
derftand  by  figns  that  the  Miffifipy  River  was  very 
difficult  to  find,  becaufe  its  mouth  could  not  be  per- 
ceived a  league  off.  They  then  drew  veffels  with 
coal,  and  gave  us  to  underftand  that  many  pafTed 
along  their  coaft. 

Having  taken  leave  of  thefe  Indians,  to  whom  we 
made  fome  prefents  and  courtefy  for  courtefy,  we 
returned  to  our  fort  ai  St.  Louis  Bay,  where  we  made 
fome  ftay  to  cultivate  more  and  more  the  confi- 
dence and  friendihip  of  our  Bracamos  (fo  is  the 
Indian  nation  called  that  dwells  near  our  fort),  in 
order  to  leave  protectors  to  the  people  whom  we 
would  have  to  leave  in  the  fort  while  we  went 
overland  to  feek  the  Miffifipy. 

We  obferved  during  our  ftay,  that  the  eaft  winds 
generally  prevail  by  day,  and  weft  winds  by  night; 
that  the  leaft  fpeck  of  cloud  forebodes  a  violent 
gale,  which  will  laft  an  hour  at  moft;  that  the 
north  winds  (which  the  Spaniards  there  dread  im- 
menfely)  are  not  fo  violent  as  the  weft  winds  which 
the  fifhing  fmacks  ftand  in  winter  time  on  the 
Banks  of  Newfoundland  ;  and  laftly  that  the  tide 
rifes  here  but  very  (lightly.  We  faw  quantities  of 
fait,  formed  naturally  in  various  fpots,  which  led  us 
to  infer  that  it  would  be  eafy  to  make  fuccefiTul 
fait  works. 

2°  Father  Morfi  in  his  very  full     filent  as  to  any  Spanilh  occupation 
manufcript  Hiftory   of  Texas,   is     of  fo  early  a  date, 


Cavelier's  Account.  23 


Having  then  provided  for  the  fecurity  of  the 
fort  by  the  friendmip  of  the  neighbouring  Indians, 
by  arms  and  ammunition,  and  for  the  fubfiflence  of 
the  people  whom  we  left  there  by  the  provifions  and 
goods  which  remained,  and  after  my  brother  had 
recommended  vigilance,  patience,  and  devotion  to 
the  King's  fervice,  we  fet  out  on  the  firft  of  No-  Nov.  i. 
vember,  accompanied  by  thirty  men,  carrying  only  MDd7 
our  arms,  ammunition  for  game,  and  fome  trifling  to  differ  the 

.    *  -      f          «        T     j  •  mouth   of    the 

articles  for  the  Indians.  river  by  land. 

Ten  or  twelve  days  after,  we  found  a  very  popu- 
lous village,  where  the  men  and  women  wore  large 
pearls  hanging  from  the  cartilage  between  the  two 
noftrils.  I  bought  a  few  in  order  to  fhow  your 
Lordfhip.  I  have  already  mown  them  to  Catillon, 
lapidary  at  Paris,  who  afTured  me  that  they  were 
of  the  fineft  water  in  the  world,  but  imperfect  in 
fhape.  We  tried  to  learn  from  thefe  Indians  the 
place  whence  they  drew  this  precious  merchandife, 
but  being  able  to  underftand  us  only  by  figns,  we 
could  only  prefume  that  they  got  them  from  the 
fea  when  they  went  to  catch  fifh,  for  they  fhowed 
us  large  pirogues  and  nets  which  apparently  were 
folely  for  this  ufe.  We  have  fince  learned  that 
many  fmall  rivers  which  pafs  through  their  country 
empty  into  St.  Louis  Bay. 

Having  left  this  nation,  we  ran  for  two  months  December  and 
in  fearch  of  our  river  with  no  hope  of  finding  it,  ^an 
finding  only  Indians  whofe  manners   kept  us   in 
perpetual  diftruft  ;  we  did  not  dare  to  make  any 
ftay  in  any  place  for  fear  of  fome  furprife.     The 


24  La  Sallis  Loft  Voyage. 


!y'  continual  marching,  the  rigour  of  the  feafon,  and 
the  fears  that  we  had  conceived  from  the  referved 
and  diftruftful  manners  of  the  Indians,  made  us 
undergo  hardmips,  that  it  would  be  difficult  for  me 
to  exprefs. 

February/  In  the  beginning  of  February  we  came  to  a  pretty 
l88'  large  river,  which  my  brother  thought  might  be 
the  Miflifipy,  although  its  courfe  was  juft  the  oppo- 
fite  ;  our  fentiments  were  different,  we  followed  its 
banks  for  two  days,  without  meeting  man  or  beaft. 
Some  days  after,  having  perceived  a  village,  we 
deemed  proper  to  fire  a  volley  before  entering,  in 
order  to  alarm  the  Indians  and  put  them  to  flight, 
fo  as  to  take  from  their  cabins  what  Indian  corn 
we  needed;  this  having  been  executed,  we  left 
them  the  payment  on  the  fpot,  after  which  we  left 
to  continue  our  fearch. 

We  had  fcarcely  made  a  league  when  we  per- 
ceived two  Indians  running  after  us.  We  firft 
thought  the  villagers,  charmed  with  the  beauty  of 
the  knives,  fciflbrs  and  needles  that  we  had  left  in 
payment,  had  deputed  them  to  bring  us  back,  but 
we  were  greatly  furprifed  when  we  faw  thefe  In- 
dians fall  on  my  brother  and  almoft  ftifle  him  by 
their  embraces  in  the  tranfport  of  pleafure  which 
they  experienced  on  feeing  him  again.  They  were 
two  Shawnees,  of  three  whom  my  brother  loft 
when  he  defcended  to  the  mouth  of  the  Miflifipy 
by  the  Ilinois  river.  They  told  us  that  their  corn- 

it  was  in  rade  was  fick  in  the  village,  to  which  they  begged 
582k   us  to  return,  afluring  us  of  the  humanity  and  good 


Cavelier's-  Account.  25 


faith  of  the  people.  My  brother  was  fmcerely 
pleafed  to  find  them  again,  and  in  hopes  of  learning 
from  them  what  he  defired,  he  made  no  difficulty 
of  refolving  to  follow  them.  They  took  us  firft  to 
their  cabin,  where  we  found  their  comrade.  They 
made  us  take  up  our  quarters  there,  while  a  larger 
cabin  was  preparing  for  us  near  by. 

They  told  us,  that  having  gone  out  to  hunt 
while  in  my  brother's  fervice,  they  were  furrounded 
and  taken  by  thirty  or  forty  warriors  of  the  village 
where  we  were,  who  carried  them  there  without 
binding  them;  that  the  whole  nation,  and  even  their 
allies,  had  greatly  honoured  them  and  held  them 
for  fomething  more  than  men,  on  account  of  the 
power  of  their  guns  ;  that  they  wondered  to  fee 
them  kill  a  bifon  a  hundred  paces  off,  and  feveral 
turkeys  at  a  {ingle  mot,  but  that  when  their  ammu- 
nition failed,  thefe  people  prefTed  them  to  make 
more  and  ridiculed  them  becaufe  they  had  not  the 
fecret  of  making  it.  They  alfo  told  us  that  they 
had  married  in  this  village,  and  that  they  had  had 
no  difficulty  in  learning  the  language.  They  then 
took  us  to  a  large  cabin  where  we  were  conven- 
iently lodged. 

It  was  from  thefe  three  Indians  that  we  learned 
that  we  were  only  forty  leagues  from  the  fea  ;  that 
the  Indians  among  whom  we  were  made  war  on 
others  who  had  intercourfe  with  the  Spaniards,  dif- 
tant  about  130  leagues  from  the  fea;  that  there  was 
a  river  —  leagues  from  us,  more  beautiful  than  the  30  L.  They 
Miffifipy,  and  two  others  fifteen  or  twenty  leagues,  the  Rio 


26  La  Sallys  Loft  Voyage. 

Feib688ry'  'in  which  g°ld  was  found  in  large  grains  and  in 


duft  ;  that  the  Indians  ufed  it  only  to  make  collars 
and  bracelets,  but  that  they  valued  it  lefs  than  cer- 
tain red  ftones  which  they  put  to  the  fame  ufe. 

They  added  :  We  have  been  to  war  againft  the 
nation  t^t  has  intercourfe  with  the  Spaniards  and 
took  fome  prifoners  who  were  neatly  drefled  in  filk. 
They  told  us  that  the  Spaniards  furnimed  them 
their  clothes  and  many  other  things  in  exchange 
for  certain  ftones  which  they  prized  highly.  They 
directed  us  to  the  fpot  whence  they  took  thefe  pre- 
cious ftones,  and  as  we  could  pafs  by  it,  without 
deviating  much  from  the  route  we  had  to  take  back 
to  our  village,  we  eafily  perfuaded  our  troop,  as  curi- 
ous as  ourfelves,  to  go  there.  The  prifoners  acting 
as  guides,  we  reached  a  hill  which  may  be  two 

e  Mr.  Cavelier  _        °  ,  1/1  j  r  L    1 

took  fome  to  leagues  long,  where  they  mowed  us  iome  holes 
Sdt'  of'goid-  made  by  the  Indians,  from  which  we  took0  fome 
fmiths  aflayed  fpecimens  of  ftone  which  we  have  kept.  This  hill 

them     by    the  -i  ,  _  .  ,.  *M1  ,    . 

King's  order,  lies  about  forty  leagues  from  our  village,  and  is 
iTwafgoiVo^  near  a  little  riyer  which  empties  in  a  larger  one,d 
which  had  only  which  coming  a  great  diftance  and  paffing  between 

halfwafte.  r  i  MI  •        •  i        ^     if      r  -\  r 

dRio  Bravo,  two  ranges  of  hills  empties  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 
The  Spaniards  have  feveral  villages  on  the  fouthern 
part  of  this  river,  and  the  Indians  who  make  war 
on  them,  crofs  over  and  make  captures  along  the 

«  Apparently  roacje  which  they  frequent  with  little  precaution. 

the   road   from  '  n-         i  i  i  /- 

old  to  New  They  anured  us  that  there  was  not  a  nation  for 
a  hundred  leagues  around  but  feared  the  inroads  of 
the  Spaniards  ;  that  they  dreaded  them  on  account 
of  the  frightful  ftories  told  of  their  fire  arms  ;  that 


Cavelier's  Account.  27 

this  confederation  alone  had  prevented  their  leaguing  F€fjJJr>- 
together  to  undertake  to  carry  a  town,  lacking 
neither  defire,  courage  nor  means  of  uniting;  that 
for  this  purpofe  they  could  bring  together  one 
hundred  thoufand  warriors  and  ten  thoufand  horfes, 
without  going  fifty  leagues  from  their  village;  that 
this  army  could  fubfift,  even  without  fupplies  of 
provifions,  by  the  quantity  of  bifon,  fmall  game  and 
fifh  found  everywhere,  by  merely  dividing  into 
troops  of  ten  thoufand  men,  and  giving  two  leagues 
of  land  to  each  troop,  and  always  camping  in  beau- 
tiful prairies  with  which  the  country  abounds ;  that 
even  if  we  wifhed  to  lay  up  provifions  of  Indian 
corn,  peas  or  beans,  it  could  eafily  be  done,  as  the 
earth  produces  plentifully  without  being  fowed  or 
cultivated ;  and  finally,  that  the  country  is  full  of 
all  forts  of  excellent  fruit,  which  would  alfo  be  a 
great  help.  They  convinced  us  that  they  needed 
only  good  leaders  and  fome  regular  troops  to  in- 
ftrudt  them,  arms,  faddles,  bridles  and  ammunition. 
On  this  my  brother  having  afked  them  on  which 
fide  they  would  attack  the  Spaniards,  they  replied 
that  it  was  beyond  that  great  river*  of  which  they  *Rio  Bravo- 
had  fpoken  to  us,  where  there  were  feveral  cities 
and  villages,  fome  open  and  others  fortified  merely 
by  palifades,  which  it  would  be  eafy  to  force,  the 
more  eafily  as  the  Indians  had  often  got  the  upper 
hand  of  them  ;  that  the  year  before  they  had  killed 
or  taken  over  two  thoufand  perfons  and  forced 
them  to  lend  religious  to  exhort  them  to  peace. 
They  told  us  moreover  that  the  Spaniards  had 


28  La  Salles  Loft  Voyage. 

February,  more  than  30  gold  and  filver  mines  in  different 
parts  of  the  country  which  they  durft  not  work  on 
account  of  the  proximity  of  nations  that  they  were 
at  war  with. 

That  the  climate  of  the  country  northward  and 
Rb  Bravo,  eaftward  of  the  great  river  was  perfectly  beautiful, 
and  fo  healthy  that  men  died  there  only  of  old  age 
or  fmall  pox  ;  the  land  fo  fertile,  that  unfown,  un- 
tilled,  it  produced  two  crops  of  Indianjcorn  and 
three  of  peafe  or  beans  a  year  ;  that  they  were  told 
that  the  other  fide  of  the  river  was  neither  fertile 
nor  healthy; 

That  there  was  near  by  a  nation  that  made  cloth 

of  nettles,  wild  flax  and  the  bark  of  trees,  and  who 

The  Parig  manufactured  cloth   of  buffalo  ^  wool ;    that   they 

amaled  T*  &ive  ^e  fineft  colours  in  the  world   to  all  their 

the  quality  of  fabrics;  in  fact  they  gave  us  earth  of  all  colours, 

rth>    which  we  took  to  France;  that  there  were  other 

thTpfnifar  nati°ns  to  t^le  northweft,  who  had  kings  and  chiefs 

hans  and  the  and  obferved  fome  forms  of  government,  honoring 

and  refpecting  their  kings  as  Europeans  do  theirs; 
Florida,  ap.      That  there  were  fome  on  the  Eaft  fo  fierce,  that 

parently.  •••11 

it  had  never  had  any  communication  with  others, 
and  fo  cruel  that  they  devoured  each  other ; 

That  about  fifty  leagues  from  the  fpot  where  we 
were,  were  two  or  three  mountains  on  the  banks 
of  a  river,  from  which  were  taken  red  ftones,  as 
clear  as  cryftal.  They  gave  us  fome  of  it  and  fome 
gold  ore  which  we  took  to  France. 

After  they  had  related  us  all  this,  my  brother 
wifhed  to  induce  them  to  follow  him,  to  return  to 


Cavelier  s  Account.  29 

their  own  country ;  but  they  anfwered  him,  that 
they  were  not  unnatural  enough  to  abandon  their 
wives  and  children;  that  moreover  being  in  the 
moft  fertile,  healthy  and  peaceful  country  in  the 
world,  they  would  be  devoid  of  fenfe  to  leave  it  and 
expofe  themfelves  to  be  tomahawked  by  the  Illinois 
or  burnt  by  the  Iroquois  on  their  way  to  another, 
where  the  winter  was  infufferably  cold,  the  fummer 
without  game,  and  ever  in  war ;  but  that  if  the 
French  built  or  eftablimed  any  colony  in  the  Mif- 
fifipy,  that  they  would  approach  it  and  that  they 
would  have  the  pleafure  of  rendering  them  conlid- 
erable  fervices. 

Towards  the  clofe  of  January  we  parted  from 
our  honeft  Shawnees,  who  could  not  accompany  us 
to  the  Miflifipy  for  fear  of  being  fufpedted  of  wifh- 
ing  to  follow  us,  but  they  induced  ten  or  twelve 
warriors  to  lead  us.  On  the  loth  of  March  we 
defcried  the  river  Miflifipy,  where  we  left  fome 
men  in  a  little  redoubt  of  pickets,  which  we  made 
ourfelves,  and  retracing  our  fteps,  we  pafled  again 
through  the  village  of  our  Shawnees,  where  we 
were  regaled  as  well  as  thefe  good  people  could 
regale  us,  and  continuing  our  march,  we  reached  Return  of  Mr. 
St.  Louis  Bay,  on  the  3oth  of  the  month  of  March, de  la  Salle> 
1685." 

21  Joutel  and  Le  Clercq  are  very  tionLa  Salle  reached  the  Mifliffippi, 

brief  as  to  this  journey  of  La  Salle,  and  remarks :    "  We  muft  however 

whofe  return  th£   former  puts  in  "  fay  in  behalf  of  Mr.  Tonty,  that 

March,  the  latter  May  31,  1686.  "he  ftates  it  only  on  the  report  of 

Joutel  denies  the  ftatement  in  the  "  Rev.    Mr.    Cavelier,   La    Salle's 

Pfeudo  Tonty,  that  in  this  expedi-  "  brother ;  and   the  faid  Cavelier 

E 


30  La  Sallys  Loft  Voyage. 

Fexb6rggry'  Our  people  received  us  with  all  poffible  joy,  and 
we  experienced  much  pleafure  to  find  them  all  in 
good  health ;  but  our  joy  was  foon  marred  by  the 
moft  diftrefling  accident  in  the  world  ;  for  our  fri- 
gate, eight  or  ten  days  after  our  arrival,  ftruck  and 
perimed  with  all  on  board  except  eight  men." 
The  lofs  which  we  had  fuflained  of  ten  men,  the 
beft  failors  we  had  on  board,  who  were  killed  with 
arrows  by  the  Bracamos  at  the  time  they  made  war 
on  us,  fuppofing  us  to  be  Spaniards,  was  furely  the 
caufe  of  the  lofs  of  the  vefTel,  which  perhaps  lacked 
experienced  people ;  in  fine,  the  chagrin  that  my 
brother  experienced  at  the  lofs,  joined  to  the  hard- 
fhips  which  we  had  undergone  during  our  painful 
march,  brought  on  a  malady  which  nearly  took 
him  out  of  the  world,  and  overwhelmed  our  little 
party  with  defpair.  In  fact,  my  Lord,  after  the  lofs 
of  the  veffel,  which  deprived  us  of  our  only  means 
of  returning  to  France,  we  had  no  refource  for  our 
fubfiftence  except  my  brother's  good  management 
and  firmnefs,  and  each  of  us  regarded  his  death  as 
his  own,  for  we  beheld  ourfelves  caft  away  in  a 
favage  country,  without  affiftance  and  cut  off  by 
immenfe  distances  from  every  Chriftian  nation. 

"  may  have  reafons  for  pretending  "1686,  he  thought  that  he  had  found 

"  that  they  difcovered  the  Miffiffippi  "  the  river,   he   fortified  a   place, 

"  in  the  fame  view  that  obliged  him  "  left  a  part  of  his  men  and  with 

"  to  conceal  his   brother's   death."  "  nine  others  continued  to  explore 

p.  5.     Le  Clercq  in  the  Etablijfe-  "  a  moft  beautiful  country." 
ment  de  la  Foi  (fee  Shea's  Difc.  of 

the  MifflJ/ippi,  p.  195)  fays:    "At  »*  For  the  lofs  of  the  Belle,  fee 

"laft,  on  the    I3th  of  February,  Joutel,  140. 


Cavalier's  Account.  31 

My  brother  recovered  at  laft,  and  when  his  FelJJ?y' 
health  was  perfectly  reftored,  he  propofed  to  under- 
take to  reach  Canada  by  land,  fo  as  to  come  to 
France  to  report  what  he  had  done.  The  way  is 
long,  painful  and  dangerous  beyond  all  that  can  be 
exprefied  to  the  contrary,  fo  the  leaft  hardy  durft  not 
undertake  it.  Thefe  my  brother  left  in  charge  of 
the  fort,  with  neceflary  provifions,  commending 
them  to  remain  ftrongly  attached  to  the  king's 
fervice.  He  formed  a  party  of  thofe  who  were 
difpofed  to  follow  him.  Father  Athanafius,  my 
nephew  Moranget,  my  brother's  godfon,  two 
Shawnee  Indians,  who  had  followed  my  brother  to 
France,  and  I,  were  of  the  party.  j6g 

We  ftarted  on  the  13th  of  April,   i685,*3  and  APHI  i'3. 
laid  our  route  fo  as  to  pafs   by  the  Illinois,  where  of1  Mr.epd?u[a 
we  had  refolved  to  reft.     It  feems  to  me  unnecef-  J^J  fJjleC 
fary  to  fpeak  here  of  the  minutiae  of  our  march,  nois 
and  I  will  merely  fay  in  general  the  mofh  remarkable 
things  that  we  faw  and  obferved. 

We  were  very  kindly  and  affectionately  received 
by  all  the   nations   that  we  paffed   through.     We 
had  plenty  every  where ;  we  received  prefents  and 
were  fupplied    with    guides   and   horfes.     Among  civiS2  na 
thefe  nations,   the   Senis24  feem  to  us  the  moft  nu-oflndians< 

*3  Father  Anaftafius  (not  Athana-  Provineia  de  Texas,  they  were  one 

fins)  in  Le  Clercq  details  this  expe-  of  the  tribes  comprifed  under  the 

dition.  The  real  date  is  1686.  general  name  of  Texas,  which  be- 

fides  the  Texas  proper  and  the 

=4  The  Sems  or  Coenis  are  called  Affinais,  included  the  Navedachos, 

Affinals  by  the  Spanifh  writers,  the  Nagcodoches,  the  Nacogdoches, 

According  to  Father  Morfi,  in  his  the  Nadocogs,  the  Ahijitos,  the  Ca- 

Mcvsrias  para  la  Hiftoria  de  la  dogdachos  and  Naflbnis,  all  fpeaking 


La  Sallys  Loft  Voyage. 


merous  and  polimed  ;  it  is  governed  by  a  King  or 
Cacique,  and  the  fubordination  that  we  remarked 
among  them  made  us  infer  that  they  had  officers  ; 
the  houfes  are  built  with  order  and  very  prettily,  and 
they  have  the  art  of  making  a  cloth  of  feathers  and 
the  hair  of  animals.  We  found  there  filver  lamps, 
old  mufkets  and  Spanim  fword  blades.  Having 
afked  them  by  figns  where  they  got  them,  they 
took  a  coal  and  depicted  a  Spaniard,  houfes,  fteeples, 
and  mowed  us  the  part  of  the  heaven  under  which 
New  Mexico  would  lie. 

On  leaving  this  village,  my  brother,  our  nephew 
and  three  foldiers  were  greatly  troubled  by  certain 
ftrange  fruits  of  which  they  had  eaten  too  freely. 
They  all  took  the  fever,  which  did  not  leave  them 
till  two  months  afterward.  My  brother  was  fo 
affected  and  weakened  by  it  that  we  did  not  dare 
arrivls  «  to  proceed,  but  retracing  our  fteps  returned  after 
£°B  °f  St'f°rtv  days  to  {^e  f°rt  in  St.  Louis  Bay,zs  where  we 


B 


the  fame  language.     Father  Anafta- 
fius  reprefents  the  town  of  the  Senis 
as  extending  for  fome  fixty  miles  in 
'  hamlets  of  ten  or  twelve  cabins, 
'  forming  cantons  each  with  a  dif- 
'  ferent  name."      He  probably  in- 
cludes all  the  above  tribes.     "  Their 
'  cabins,"  fays  he,  "  are  fine,  forty 
'  or  fifty  feet  high,  of  the  fliape  of 
'  bee  hives.     They  plant  trees  in 
'  the  ground  and  tie  them  together 
'  by  the  upper  branches,  and  cover 
'  it  with  dry  grafs.     The  beds  are 
'  ranged  around  the  cabin,  three  or 
'  four  feet  from  the  ground,  the  fire 


"  is  in  the  middle,  and  each  cabin 
"  holds  two  families." 

25  (Oftober,  1686).     This  ex- 
ploration is  here  vaguely  defcribed. 
Father  Anaftafius  details    it  how- 
ever.    Mr.  Sparks  fays,  "It  may 
be   aflumed   as  certain,    that  he 
crofled   the    three   large    rivers, 
'  Colorado,  Brazos  and  Trinity  ; 
'  the  firft  not  many  miles  above  the 
'  prefent  town  of  Montezuma ;  and 
'  the  fecond  as  far  above  the  town 
'  of  Waihington  .  .  .  The  journey 
*  terminated  beyond  the  Naflbnis, 


Cavalier's  Account.  33 

were  received  with  all  poffible  joy  by  our  people 
and  by  the  Bracamos,  who  came  firll  to  vifit  us 
and  brought  us  a  quantity  of  deer. 

The  attempts  which  we  had  made  to  go  to  Ca- 
nada not  having  fucceeded,  we  turned  our  hopes  to 
the  aid  that  the  King  might  fend  us  from  France, 
and  we  patiently  awaited  it  till  the  clofe  of  the  year 
1686  ;  but  at  laft  weary  of  being  deprived  of  the 
fociety  of  our  countrymen,  and  banimed  as  it  were 
to  the  uttermoft  parts  of  the  earth,  we  regarded  this 
agreeable  country  only  as  a  tedious  refting  place 
and  a  perpetual  prifon,  feeling  fatiffied  that  had  not 
the  King  deemed  us  loft,  he  would  have  had  the 
goodnefs  to  fend  fome  one  to  continue  the  explora- 
tion which  we  had  undertaken,  or  to  carry  us  back 
to  France.  We  often  made  vague .  conjectures, 
which. ferved  only  to  afflict  us,  and  at  laft  when  the 
beginning  of  i68626came,  my  brother  propofed  to 
make  a  fecond  attempt.  As  all  minds  were  full  of 
the  defire  of  again  beholding  France,  his  eloquence 
was  required  only  to  perfuade  fome  of  our  people 
to  remain  in  the  fort.  He  portrayed  to  them  the 
hardfhips  and  dangers  to  be  encountered ;  the  im- 
poffibility  of  fubfifting  if  they  all  went  together  on 
fo  long  a  march/  with  no  refource  but  hunting. 
He  fucceeded  fo  well  that  a  part  determined  to  keep 
the  fort,  and  my  brother  took  only  2827  of  the  moft 

'  probably  about  midway  between         ^6  (1687). 
'  the  Trinity  and  Red  River,  near 

'  the  head  waters   of  the  Sabine,         *7  Anaftafius  fays  twenty :  Jou- 
'  and  fifty  or  sixty  miles  northweft     tel,  leventeen. 
'  of  Nacogdoches."     (Life  of  La 
Salle,  p.  152.) 


34.  La  Sallys  Loft  Voyage. 


vigourous,    among   them  Father  Athanafius,  our 
nephews  Cavelier  and  Moranget,  my  brother's  god- 
fon,  the  pilot  of  his  veffel  and  myfelf. 
second  at-      We  ftarted  on  the  6th  of  January28  (after  hearing 
tempt  to  r«ach  Mafs  and  performing  our  devotions,  and  exhorting 

Canada  by  land.     ,  ,  *       ,  °.         ,  iirri 

the  people  who  remained  to  watch  the  late  keep- 
ing of  the  fort,  promifing  foon  to  return  with  help 
from  France),  and  went  to  fleep  at  the  village  of 
the  Bracamos. 

The  7th  we  made  5  or  6  leagues  progrefs  through 
canes  and  reeds. 

The  8th  we  made  alfo  5  or  6  leagues  in  more 
clear  and  level  country. 

The  pth  we  arrived  at  the  village  of  the  Kou- 
aras,29  where  we  tarried  two  days.  There  we  faw 
a  party  of  7  or  800  warriors,  who  were  bringing  in 
one  hundred  and  fifty  prifoners  in  triumph  ;  we 
faved  fome  who  were  going  to  be  caft  into  the 
water  bound  hand  and  foot. 

The  1  2th  we  crofled  a  river  on  a  raft  with  much 
rifk.  The  fear  that  we  had  experienced  was  not 
yet  diffipated  when  all  at  once  a  band  of  Indians, 
ruming  defperately  on  us,  revived  it  in  a  ftill  more 
intenfe  degree;  but  thefe  good  people  far  from 
harming  us,  took  us*  to  their  cabins  where  they 
gave  us  feveral  kinds  of  meat  to  eat,  and  offered  us 
pipes  and  tobacco;  while  we  were  engaged  in 

*8  Father  Anaftafius  agrees  with  the  Miflijjippi,  p.  211),  mentions 
Cavelier,  but  Joutel  fays  the  1  2th.  this  vilit  to  the  Quaras,  who  are 

perhaps  the  Xaranames  of  Father 
29   Father  Anaftafius  (Difc.  of    Morfi. 


Cavelier's  Account.  35 

fmoking,  they  began  to  fing  and  dance  in  a  very 
curious  manner,and  flopped  only  when  we  departed. 
We  made  fix  leagues  that  day. 

The  1 5th  we  refumed  our  march,  although  our 
good  and  honeft  hunters  made  every  effort  to  keep 
us  at  leaft  till  next  day.  They  gave  us  an  efcort 
of  twelve  men  who  accompanied  us  4  leagues  from 
the  village,  and  confided  us  to  other  hunters  Who 
treated  us  in  .the  fame  manner  as  the  firft  during 
the  two  days  that  we  were  in  company. 

The  i6th  we  marched  6  or  7  leagues  in  beauti- 
ful prairies,  ftudded  with  little  groves  at  intervals, 
and  at  evening  we  encamped  on  the  banks  of  a 
little  ftream. 

The  1 7th  in  the  morning,  when  about  to 
march,  we  perceived  150  Indians,  all  on  horfeback, 
armed  with  lances  tipped  with  fharpened  bone  well 
tied  and  enchafed,  each  of  whom  attacked  a  bull. 
No  fooner  had  they  perceived  us  when  fome  of 
them  left  the  party  and  came  to  welcome  us  after 
difmounting.  They  at  firft  regarded  us  with 
aftonifhment  and  after  having  examined  us,  they 
uttered  extraordinary  exclamations.  They  then 
made  us  mount,  the  more  conveniently  to  witnefs 
the  clofe  of  the  bull-fight,  which  feemed  to  us 
the  moft  diverting  thing  imaginable,  and  I  am 
convinced  that  there  is  no  chafe  as  curious  in 
Europe.  When  the  combat  was  ended  by  the 
death  of  feveral  animals,  the  combatants  came 
galloping  to  us  and  giving  many  tokens  of  fur- 
prize  and  joy  at  meeting  us,  they  led  us  away 


36  La  Salles  Lafl  Voyage. 

' to  t^ie^r  village«  Their  frank  and  cordial  manners 
made  us  follow  them  without  repugnance.  They 
often  uttered  the  word  Kanoutinoa,  pointing  to 
themfelves;  this  made  us  fuppofe  that  it  was  the 
name  of  the  nation.30  They  took  us  ftraight  to 
the  cabin  of  their  great  chief  or  captn,  where  they 
firft  warned  our  heads,  hands  and  feet  with  warm 
water ;  after  which  they  prefented  us  boiled  and 
roaft  meat  to  eat,  and  an  unknown  fim,  cooked 
whole,  that  was  fix  feet  long,  laid  in  a  dim  of  its 
length.  It  was  of  a  wonderful  tafte  and  we  pre- 
ferred it  to  meat.  They  told  us  by  figns  that  they 
were  abundant  and  came  from  a  diftance  afcending 
the  river. 

We  bought  at  this  place  thirty  horfes,  which 
mounted  us  all  and  carried  our  baggage.  They 
coft  us  thirty  knives,  ten  hatchets,  and  fix  dozen 
needles.  On  the  1 9th  we  crofled  the  river  on  their 
boats  and  our  horfes  fwam  over.  We  made  that 
day  four  or  five  leagues  and  encamped  on  a  fpot 
where  there  was  grafs  to  paflure  our  horfes,  which 
we  tied  to  good  flakes. 

On  the  2oth,  about  two  leagues  from  the  fpot 
where  we  had  pafled  the  night,  we  found  quite  a 
well  beaten  path  ;  we  followed  it  becaufe  it  ran  in 
the  direction  in  which  we  had  refolved  to  go.  We 
faw  there  four  old  women  and  four  young  girls 
who  pafled  by  us  weeping  and  tearing  their  hair, 

3°  Father  Anaftalius  mentions  Maligne  (Colorado),  but  Joutel 
their  vifiting  the  Quanoatinno  on  the  merely  fays  that  they  heard  of  the 
river  which  La  SalJe  ftyled  the  Canohatinno. 


Cavelier's  Account.  77 

\j  / 


without  having  curiofity  enough  to  look  at  us. 
This  feemed  to  us  an  ill  omen,  but  we  paid  no  great 
attention  to  it.  The  next  moment  we  faw  a  crowd 
coming  towards  us  ;  we  firft  put  ourfelves  in  a  flate 
of  defence,  prepared  for  all  hazards;  but  thefe  people, 
inflead  of  approaching  us,  fled,  and  we  purfued  our 
way,  and  in  the  evening  reached  a  village  the 
cabins  of  which  were  made  of  canes  interlaced  and 
whitened  with  very  fine  plafter.  The  Indians  in 
alarm  took  flight,  but  feeing  that  we  encamped 
near  their  village  without  doing  them  any  harm, 
and  that  we  made  them  figns  to  return,  they 
gradually  approached  us,  and  finally  ventured  to 
enter  our  tents  of  grafs  and  branches  of  trees.  We 
made  them  fome  little  prefents.  The  next  day 
they  took  us  to  their  village.  It  feems  to  me  that 
they  faid  they  were  called  Ticapanas.31  They 
brought  us  one  of  their  number  who  fpoke  Spanifh,  .  indiansf 
and  fome  boys  whom  we  had  in  our  party  acting  '" 
as  interpreters,  we  learned  many  things  from  him 
which  I  will  relate  to  your  Lordmip  in  the  collec- 
tion of  memoirs  of  my  brother. 

On  the  22d  we  continued  our  march,  and  after 
fording  the  river,  led  by  five  Indians,  we  entered  a 
valley  (five  leagues  from  our  ftarting  point)  which, 
though  it  was  mid  winter,  was  full  of  fruit  trees, 
flowers  and  a  prodigious  quantity  of  birds  of  various 
kinds.  We  encamped  there  in  a  favourable  pofi- 
tion  to  pafs  the  night,  while  our  Indians  came  back 

31   The  Tyakappan   of  Father     Anaftafius. 

F 


38  La  Salles  Lafl  Voyage. 

fr°m  the  hunt  loaded  with  turkeys.  They  gave 
us  a  long  account  of  this  valley,  but  we  could  not 
understand  a  word  of  it. 

On  the  23d  they  took  us  to  the  great  village  of  the 
Palomas,3*  which  is  furrounded  by  palifades  of  cane. 
Our  guides  were  there  queflioned  about  us.  We 
inferred  that  they  anfwered  that  we  had  not  the  air 
of  being  Spaniards ;  we  do  not  know  what  they  be- 
lieved, for  they  lodged  us  in  a  great  cabin  outfide  the 
village,  where  they  brought  us  more  than  thirty 
handfome  maidens  of  their  village.  We  pointed 
up  to  heaven,  making  figns  that  it  was  an  execra- 
ble cuftom,  but  not  underftanding  us,  they  thought 
that  we  were  talking  of  the  fun,  for  they  inftantly 
placed  their  hands  on  their  foreheads  and  fell  flat 
on  the  ground  looking  up  to  it,  and  the  young  men 
uttered  fearful  cries,  feeing  that  we  fled  from  the 
perfecution  of  thefe  wantons.  This  nation  feemed 
to  us  more  grofs  and  ill  made  than  the  others. 

On  the  24th  we  left  it  and  wimed  their  canoes  to 
crofs  a  large  river,  that  ran  at  the  foot  of  their  vil- 
lage, but  they  advifed  us  to  afcend  the  river,  giving 
us  to  underftand  by  figns  that  we  would  infallibly 
be  killed  on  the  other  fide  if  we  crofled  the  river. 
We  could  not  learn  whether  they  were  beafts  or 
men  that  we  had  to  fear.  They  gave  us  a  peri- 
augua  in  which  we  put  20  men  and  the  8  others 
took  the  horfes  by  land.  After  five  days  failing 
and  marching,  we  faw  fome  Indians  fifhing,  and 
although  there  were  only  feven  or  eight  of  them, 

3*  The  Palonas  of  Father  Anaftafius. 


Cavelier's  Account.  39 

inftead  of  fleeing  they  ran  up  to  receive  us.  We 
recognized  them  as  a  nation  called  Alakea,  among 
whom  we  had  paffed  the  firft  time  we  were  in  the 
nation  of  the  Sem's.  They  took  us  to  their  village 
where  we  were  received  with  all  poffible  affection. 
They  kept  us  among  them  6  days,  and  then  having 
aided  us  to  crofs  the  river  in  little  boats  of  buffalo 
{kins  fewed  together,  they  took  us  to  the  village  of 
the  Akafquy,  who  knowing  us  by  reputation,  were 
glad  to  have  us  pafs  by  their  village.  At  this  place 
we-faw  about  fixty  hermaphrodites,  for  the  moft  of 
them  go  entirely  naked  after  funfet.  We  there 
alfo  faw  them  make  cloth  with  buffalo  wool,  and 
a  fluff  which  feemed  to  us  the  richeft  in  the  world, 
fo  (ingular  was  it,  for  it  is  made  of  birds'  feathers 
and  the  hair  of  animals  of  every  colour. 

On  the  27th  we  ftarted  from  the  Akafquy  to  go 
to  the  Penoy,  where  we  arrived  on  the  29th. 

On  the  3Oth  we  went  to  fleep  at  the  village  of 
Saffbry^  where  we  were  received  with  the  fame 
friendmip  as  in  the  others.  We  remained  there 
one  day,  and  we  had  the  pleafure  of  feeing  an 
alligator,  twelve  feet  long,  captured.  The  Indians 
employed  a  hook  made  of  a  buffalo  bone  tied  to 
the  end  of  a  cord,  fludded  with  fmall  bones  fo  that 
he  cannot  bite  it  through,  and  they  ufe  no  bait  but 

33  The  Alakea  are  apparently  fory  are  the  Aflbnis.     At  this  point 

the  Palaqueflbn  of  Anaftafius  and  Cavalier's  narrative  becomes  irre- 

the  Palaquechaune  of  Joutel.    Nei-  concileablc  with  Joutel  and  Father 

ther  Anaftafius  nor  Joutel  mentions  Anaftafius.      Joutel,  p.  213,  makes 

the  Pcnoy,  Saflbry,  Tipoy  and  Ana-  them  reach  the  Cenis  after  La  Salle's 

mis,  and  Morfi  throws  no  light  on  death, 
any  of  thefe  tribes,  unlefs  the  Saf- 


4-O  La  Salle's  Loft  Voyage. 


a  P*ece  °^  meat  on  the  hook.  The  Indians  who 
wifhed  to  amufe  themfelves  with  it,  put  out  its 
eyes  and  led  it  into  a  prairie,  after  tying  its  head  to 
its  tail,  and  tying  it  around  the  body  with  three 
different  cords  made  of  bark  of  trees  and  pafTed 
around  in  flip  knots  ;  and  after  tormenting  it  in 
various  ways  for  full  four  hours,  they  turned  it 
belly  up  and  confined  it  from  head  to  tail  by  eight 
ftakes,  planted  fo  that  the  animal  could  not  move 
in  any  direction.  In  this  condition  they  flayed 
him,  and  then  gave  him  liberty  to  run,  to  have  the 
pleafure  of  tormenting  him  more.  This  fport 
lafted  all  day,  and  ended  with  the  death  of  this 
frightful  beaft,  which  they  killed  and  gave  to  their 
dogs.  We  faw  many  Ikins  of  this  animal  thrown 
about,  which  made  us  infer  that  there  were  many 
in  that  river.  We  croffed  it  however  by  the  help 
of  the  Indians,  who  having  led  us  to  the  river  bank 
and  yelled  for  half  an  hour  to  frighten  and  drive 
off  thefe  animals,  fwam  over  after  putting  us  in  a 
canoe  ;  our  horfes  accuftomed  to  follow  us  every- 
where like  dogs  alfo  fwam  over. 

Feb.  i.  On  the  evening  of  the  ift  of  February  we 
reached  the  village  of  the  Tipoyt  where  the  people, 
otherwife  well  made,  have  the  top  of  the  head. 
quite  flat,  caufed  by  the  mothers  putting  on  their 
children's  heads  flat  pieces  of  wood  lined  with  wool, 
which  by  a  gentle  preffure  give  them  this  mape. 

On  the  2d,  Candlemas  day,  we  left  this  village 
led  by  a  Tipoy  Indian,  and  on  the  3d  we  reached 
the  village  of  our  good  friends  the  Anamis,  who  had 


Cavelier's  Account.  41 

hofpitably  received  us  on  our  previous  excurfion.  Fe|b6'Jary' 
We  had  the  chagrin  to  find  their  village  half  burnt 
down.  They  gave  us  to  underftand  by  figns  that 
a  hoftile  party  which  furprized  them,  had  fpread 
this  defolation,  and  that  they  would  have  burnt  it 
all,  had  they  not  alarmed  them  by  firing  on  them 
with  two  guns  and  fome  ammunition  that  we  had 
left  them ;  that  never  having  feen  or  heard  of  fuch 
arms,  the  fear  they  infpired  put  them  to  flight. 

On  the  4th  we  let  out,  and  on  the  8th  we  arrived 
at  the  great  village  of  the  Senis.  This  is  a  nation 
that  occupies  a  territory  eighteen  leagues  long. 
We  were  received  at  the  entrance  of  the  village 
and  conducted  to  a  large  and  beautiful  cabin,  where 
we  were  at  firft  entertained  with  a  right  curious 
fymphony.  The  chiefs  fupped  with  us,  and  we 
repofed  more  tranquilly  there  than  we  had  any 
where  elfe. 

On  the  9th,  after  a  crowd  of  young  men  had 
danced  a  dance  of  joy  in  our  cabin,  we  were  taken 
to  that  of  the  prince,  for  whom  they  have  all  pof- 
fible  veneration,  fubmiffion  and  refpect ;  for  when 
he  went  abroad  he  was  borne  by  eight  men  on  a 
platform,  all  the  tribe  ranged  in  two  lines,  both 
hands  on  the  forehead,  uttering  a  cry  of  joy  or 
humility ;  if  he  went  on  foot,  very  clean  mats  were 
fpread  wherever  he  was  to  pafs. 

We  left  this  village  for  fear  that  our  foldiers 
mould  tamper  with  the  women,  and  went  to  en- 
camp about  two  leagues  off,  intending  to  flay  to 
reft  and  recruit.  The  people  of  the  country  made 


42 


La  Sallys  Laft  Voyage. 

us  fufficiently  exacl;  maps  of  the  neighbouring  rivers 
and  nations.  They  told  us  that  they  knew  the 
Spaniards,  and  depidled  to  us  their  clothing  and 
fhowed  us  candlefticks,  fwords,  bucklers,  daggers 
and  Spanifh  papers.  We  are  convinced  that' they 
are  not  far  off,  the  more  fo  as  the  Senis  have  a 
number  of  fine  horfes. 

On  the  1 6th  we  left  this  great  village  for  a 
fmaller  one  of  the  fame  nation,  20  1.  off.  Thirty 
well  mounted  young  warriors  took  us  by  as  well 
beaten  a  road  as  that  from  Paris  to  Orleans.  At 
intervals  we  came  to  little  forts  in  the  moft  expofed 
pofitions,  and  every  where  a  moft  level  country 
extremely  well  adapted  to  pafturage^4 


34  Cavalier's  narrative  here  ends 
abruptly.  His  brother's  death  oc- 
curred foon  after,  and  we  unfortu- 
nately have  not  his  account  of  it. 
With  Joutel  and  Father  Anaftafius 
he  reached  Canada  and  proceeded 
to  France.  Thofe  left  in  Texas 
perifhed  by  the  hands  of  the  Caran- 


cagues.  The  cannon  of  the  fort 
long  remained  the  only  monument 
of  La  Salle  in  Texas.  Ufed  againft 
Indian,  Mexican,  Spaniard  and 
American,  they  were  ftill  at  Goliad, 
in  1838.-—  Yoakum'sHift.  of  Texas, 

1,22. 


II. 

VOYAGE  DOWN  THE  MISSISSIPPI 

IN      1699. 
BY    THE    REV.    MESSRS. 

MONTIGNY,    ST.    COSME,   DAVION   AND 
THAUMUR  DE  LA  SOURCE. 


LETTER 

OF 

J.  F.  BUISSON  ST.  COSME, 

MISSIONARY   PRIEST, 

TO    THE    BISHOP    [OF    QUEBEC]. 

Monfeigneur  : 

HE  laft  that  I  had  the  honour  to 
write  to  you  was  from  Michilli- 
makinac,  whence  we  fet  out  on  the 
1 4th  of  September,  and  went  by 
land  to  overtake  our  canoes,  which 
had  gone  round  Pointe  aux  Irro- 
quois,  and  fo  on  to  the  Outduaois  village  to  wait  for 
us.  This  village  is  of  about  300  men.  Would  to 


i  JOHN  FRANCIS  BUISSON  DE  ST. 
COSME.  This  clergyman,  whole  in- 
terefting  letter  follows,  was  a  native 
of  Quebec,  and  a  zealous  miffion- 
ary,  who  never  abandoned  the  labor 
on  which  he  entered  till  he  fank 
under  the  murderous  blows  of  the 
favage.  He  was  a  fon  of  Michael 
Buiflbn  or  Byflbn,  a  native  of  St. 

G 


Cofme  le  Vert  in  the  diocefe  of 
Mans,  and  of  Suzanne  de  Licerafle, 
and  was  born  at  Pointe  Levis,  Janu- 
ary 30,  1667.  Devoting  himfelf 
to  the  fervice  of  the  altar,  he  was 
tonfured  Auguft  22,  1688,  when  a 
little  over  twenty-one,  and  ordained 
prieft  on  Candlemas  day,  1690. 
He  was  not  the  only  prieft  in  his 


St.  Cofme's  Voyage 

God  that  they  refponded  to  the  care  and  labour 
which  the  Reverend  Jefuit  Fathers  beftow  on  their 
inftrudtion,  but  they  feem  lefs  advanced  in  Chrift- 
ianity  than  the  Illinois,  who  have  only  recently, 
they  fay,  had  miffionaries. 

We  left  this  village,  Sept.  15th,  eight  canoes, 
four  for  the  River  of  the  Miamis,  with  the  Sieur 
de  Vincennes,2  and  we  three  canoes,  and  Mr. 
Tonty,s  who  as  I  have  already  told  you  in  my  laft, 


family,  his  brother  Michael  chofe 
the  fame  life,  and  after  fpending 
fome  time  at  Tamarois  before  his 
ordination,  returned  to  Canada  and 
died  Cure  of  Sainte  Foy,  February 
1 8th,  1 7 1 2,  in  the  1 5  th  year  of  his 
priefthood,  preceding  by  lels  than  a 
month  their  coufin  John  Francis 
Buiflbn  (a  fon  of  Gervafe,  their 
father's  brother),  who  died  on  the 
1 5th  March,  1712,  in  the  2pth 
year  of  his  priefthood,  and  being  at 
his  death  one  of  the  canons  of  the 
church  of  Quebec.  The  author  of 
this  narrative  details  the  commence- 
ment of  their  labors  on  the  Miffif- 
iippi.  He  was  ftationed  firft  at 
Tamarois,  but  removed  very  foon  to 
the  Natchez,  among  whom  he  labor- 
ed earneftly  till  he  was  maflacred  by 
a  party  of  Sitimaches  while  defcend- 
ingthe  Miffiffippi  in  1707. 

*  This  is  the  earlieft  notice  of 
Mr.  de  Vincennes.  This  officer, 
whofe  death  in  the  Chickafaw  war 
has  rendered  his  name  famous,  and 
whofe  memory  is  preferved  by  a 
weftern  city,  was  apparently  a  ne- 
phew of  Louis  Jolliet,  the  explorer 


of  the  Miffiffippi.  His  family 
name  was  Biflbt,  Vincennes  being 
merely  the  name  of  a  Seigneurie  in 
Canada  acquired  by  one  of  his  an- 
ceftors.  He  was  commander  among 
the  Miamis  in  1698,  as  this  journal 
fliows,and  though  he  was  near  lofing 
his  military  rank  and  pofition  in 
1704,  he  was  too  ufeful  to  be  re- 
moved. Jn  1730  he  led  the  Mia- 
mis in  D'Artaguette's  expedition, 
and  with  du  Time,  Lalande  and 
Father  Senat  fell  into  the  hands  of 
the  Chickafaws  and  was  put  to 
death.  Vincennes  was  not  appa- 
parently  founded  by  him,  but  may 
have  been  a  poft  or  refidence  of  his, 
fo  that  the  town  that  arofe  took  his 


3  HENRI  DE  TONTV,  fon  of  the 
founder  of  Tontines,  was  a  Neapo- 
litan, who  with  his  father  having 
been  concerned  in  a  conspiracy 
againft  the  Spanifh  power,  retired 
to  France.  He  loft  an  arm  in  the 
fervice,  and  was  recommended  to 
La  Salle  by  the  Prince  de  Conde. 
He  is  one  of  the  noble  figures  in 
the  hiftory  of  the  weft.  As  Lieu- 


Down  the  Mijfijfippi.  4.7 

had  come  to  the  refolution  to  accompany  us  as  far 
as  the  Akanfcas.  I  cannot,  Monfeigneur,  exprefs 
our  obligations  to  him ;  he  guided  us  as  far  as  the 
Akanfcas  and  gave  us  much  pleafure  on  the  way. 
He  facilitated  our  courfe  through  feveral  nations, 
winning  us  the  friendmip  of  fome  and  intimidating 
thofe  who  from  jealoufy  or  a  defire  of  plunder  had 
wifhed  to  oppofe  our  voyage  ;  he  has  not  only  done 
the  duty  of  a  brave  man,  but  alfo  difcharged  the 
functions  of  a  zealous  mifiionary.  He  quieted  the 
minds  of  our  employees  in  the  little  vagaries  that 
they  might  have ;  he  fupportcd  us  by  his  example 
in  the  exercifes  of  devotion  which  the  voyage  per- 
mitted us  to  perform,  very  often  approaching  the 
facraments. 

It  would  be  ufelefs,  Monfeigneur,  to  give  you  a 
defcription  of  Lake  Miefitgan,4  on  which  we  em- 
barked, leaving  the  fort  of  the  Outouaouas,*  it  is  a 
courfe  well  enough  known.  We  would  have  taken 
the  fouth  fide,  which  is  much  the  fhorteft  and 

tenant  of  La  Salle  he  directed  affairs  epidemical  fever  in  Auguft,  1 704,  at 

in  Illinois  with  confummate   (kill,  Mobile. 

and  going  to  meet  La  Salle  he  made 

the  fecond  voyage  to  the  mouth  of        4  Michigan. 

the  Miffiffippi.     He  was  one  of  the 

founders    of  Detroit,    and   his  re-         5  The  Ottawas  or  Short  Ears, 

moval  from  the  command  of  the  ftill  exift.     They  form  a  village  on 

port  to  give  place  to  the  inexperi-  the  weft  fide  of  the  lower  peninfula 

enced  deBourgmont  plunged  the  poft  of  Michigan,  where  Catholic  Mif- 

in  a  war.  When  Iberville  reached  fionaries  ftill  attend  them.     Their 

the  mouth  of  the   Miffiflippi,  and  language   is  Algonquin,    and    their 

fettlements  were  begun,  Tonty  went  dialeft  approaches  very  nearly  that 

down,  and  rendered   fignal  fervice  of  the  Chippewas. 

till    he    fank  a  victim    to  a  deadly 


48  St.  Cofme's  Voyage 

finer  than  the  north,  but  as  it  is  the  path  of  the 
Irriquois,  and  as  they  not  long  fince  furprized  forae 
foldiers  and  Indians  who  were  going  to  the  Miamis, 
this  obliged  us  to  take  the  north  fide,  which  is  not 
fo  agreeable  nor  abundant  in  game,  but  eafier 
withal  as  I  think,  becaufe  you  are  there  fhielded 
from  the  north  and  eaft  winds. 

On  the  1 8th  of  the  month  we  arrived  off  the 
Bay  of  the  Puants,6  forty  leagues  diftant  from 
Michilimakinac ;  we  cabined  in  an  ifle  of  the  de- 
tour, [fo  called]  becaufe  there  the  Lake  begins  to 
turn  foutherly.  We  were  detained  on  this  ifland 
fix  days,  during  which  our  people  employed  their 
time  in  fetting  nets ;  they  took  a  great  quantity  of 
white  fifh,  which  is  a  very  fine  fim,  and  a  manna, 
which  is  fcarcely  ever  wanting  along  this  lake, 
where  meat  is  almoft  always  out  of  reach. 

On  the  2Oth  we  crofled  the  Bay  of  the  Puants 
[which  is]  about  ten  leagues  broad.  You  crofs 
from  ifle  to  ifle.  The  Bay  of  the  Puants  is  about 
twenty  or  thirty  leagues  long.  On  the  right,  as 
you  enter,  you  find  another  fmall  bay  called  [the 
Bay]  of  the  Noquets.  The  Bay  of  the  Puants  is 
inhabited  by  feveral  Indian  nations,  the  Noquets,7 
Folles  Avoines8  [Wild  Rice],  Foxes,  and  the  Pout- 

6  Green  Bay.  Les  Puans  were  the  7  Thefe  Indians  left  their  name 

Winnebagoes.  The  Jefuit  Relations,  to  fome  iflands  in  Green  Bay,  but 

where  the  name  firft  appears,  ex-  they  figure  very  little  in  hiftory. 

plain  that  the  Algonquin  word  Oue-  or™     T-  n 

nibegouc,    tranflated  Puans,  meant  8  The  Folles  Avomes  were  the 

really  men    from   the   fait   water.  Menomonees,  whofe  language  is  the 

They  call  themfelves  Otchagras.  Corrupt  of  all  the  Algonquin 


Down  the  Mif/i/fippi.  40 

JJ  JLJ   J[  £  I   -/ 

ouatami  and  the  Sak.9  The  Jefuit  Fathers  have  a 
miffion  at  the  head  of  the  bay.  We  much  wifhed 
to  pals  by  the  head  of  this  bay,  and  it  would  have 
been  much  our  fhorteft  [route].  You  afcend  a 
little  river  (where  there  are  only  three  leagues  of 
rapids)  about  fixty  leagues  long ;  you  then  make  a 
portage  which  is  not  long,10  and  fall  into  the  river 
of  Wefkonfin,  which  is  very  fine,  and  which  you 
are  only  two  days  in  defcending  to  reach  the  Mi- 
ciffippi.  It  is  indeed  200  leagues  from  the  point 
where  this  river  empties  into  the  Micifiippi  to 
that  where  the  river  of  the  Illinois11  difcharges  into 
the  fame  Micifiippi,  but  the  current  is  fo  ftrong 
that  this  diftance  is  foon  made;  but  the  Foxes 
[who]  are  on  this  little  river  that  you  afcend  on 
leaving  the  Bay  to  reach  the  Wefkonfin  will  not 
fuffer  any  perfon  [to  pafs]  for  fear  they  will  go  to 
places  at  war  with  them,  and  hence  they  have 
already  plundered  feveral  Frenchmen,  who  wifhed 
to  go  by  that  road.  This  obliged  us  to  take  the 
Chikagu  road. 

On  the  29th  of  September,  we  arrived  at  the 
village  of  the  Poux12  about  twenty  leagues'  diftance 
from  the  Traverfe  of  the  Bay.  There  was  formerly 
a  very  fine  village  there,  but  fince  the  chiefs  death 

9  The  Pottowatamies,  Sacs   and     kias,  Kafkafkias,  Moingonas,  and  an 
Foxes,  are  ftill  fubfifcing  tribes  of    adopted  tribe,  the  Metchigameas,  all 
the  fame  Algonquin  family.  of  whom  are  frequently  mentioned 

here. 

10  See  this   portage   more   fully 

defcribed  in  Guignas's  letter,  pojt.  i*Poux  is  not  the  plural  of  the 

French  word  pou,  as  lome  fuppofe, 

1 1  The  Illinois  nation  was  made     but  a  contraction  of  Pouteouatami. 
up  of  the  Peorias,  Tamarois,  Caho- 


50  St.  Cofmes  Voyage 

a  part  of  the  Indians  have  gone  and  fettled  in  the 
Bay,  and  the  reft  were  ready  to  go  there  too  when 
we  pafTed.  We  remained  in  this  village 

The  3Oth  we  fet  out,  and  on  the  4th  of  October 
we  came  to  another  fmall  village  of  Poux  on  a 
little  river  where  Rev.  Father  Marais13  had  win- 
tered with  fome  Frenchmen  and  planted  a  crofs. 
We  fpent  the  reft  of  the  day  there. 

On  the  5th  we  fet  out,  and  after  being  detained 
two  days  by  high  winds,  we  arrived  on  the  yth  at 
Melwarik.14  This  is  a  river  where  there  is  a  vil- 
lage which  has  been  considerable,  and  inhabited  by 
the  Motarclins15  and  Foxes,  and  even  fome  Poux. 
We  remained  there  two  days,  partly  on  account  of 
the  wind  and  partly  to  refrem  our  people  a  little, 
as  duck  and  teal  mooting  was  very  plenty  on  the 
river. 

On  the  loth  of  October,  having  left  Meliwarik 
early  in  the  morning,  we  arrived  in  good  feafon  at 
Kipikawi,16  which  is  about  eight  leagues  from  it. 
There  we  parted  with  Mr.  de  Vincennes's  party, 
who  continued  their  courfe  towards  the  Miamis. 
Some  Indians  had  led  us  to  fuppofe  that  we  might 

13  Apparently  the  Rev.  Jofeph  J.          15  If  they  were  ever  a  diftinft  na- 

Mareft,  of  the  Society  of  Jefus,  long  tion,  thefe    Mafcoutens    have   now 

a  miffionary  in  the  weft,  certainly  merged  in  the  Sacs,  Foxes  and  Kika- 

from  1689  to  1711,  though  it  may  poos, 
be  his  brother  Gabriel,  who  was  on         .ATJ          c  j  L-  ctr-  • 

the  Illinois  million  in  1 700.  '  6 1  \ '  ?°* fin*  *TT  °f  ^ 

kawi  or  Kipikulkwi  elfewhere.  The 

H  Milwaukee,  written  on  fome  river  is  evidently  that  emptying  into 

early  maps  Melloki  and   Melleoki.  the  Lake  at  Racine,  and  this  route 

For  Latinizing  this  laft  form  has  ad-  was  up  the  Root  River  and  then  by  a 

vantages.  portage  acrofs  to  the  Fox,  or  Pim- 


Down  the  Mijfijfftppi.  51 

afcend  by  this  river,  and  that  after  making  a  portage 
of  about  nine  leagues,  we  could  defcend  by  another 
river  called  Piftrui,17  which  empties  into  the  River 
of  the  Illinois  about  twenty-five  or  thirty  leagues 
from  Chikagu.18  We  avoided  this  river,  which  is 
about  twenty  leagues  in  length  up  to  the  portage. 
It  paries  through  quite  pleafant  prairies,  but  as 
there  was  no  water  in  it,  we  judged  fagely  too  that 
there  would  not  be  in  the  Beflikwi,17  and  that  in- 
ftead  of  fhortening  our  way,  we  mould  have  had 
to  make  nearly  forty  leagues  of  the  way  as  a  port- 
age. This  obliged  us  to  take  the  route  of  Chicagu, 


taka  (Beflikwi)  river,  which  they 
defcended  to  the  Illinois.  The 
names  in  this  memoir  have  fuffered 
greatly  in  tranfcription,  and  the 
copyill  feems  to  have  been  efpecially 
bothered  by  the  8,  which  he  re- 
places by  vv  or  w,  and  fometimes 
by  r  and  k.  As  a  vowel  it  corre- 
fponds  to  the  Englifli  oo  (French  ou) 
as  a  confonant  to  w. 

jyjoutelon  his  map  gives  the 
name  of  Petefcouy  to  this  river,  and 
Charlevoix  (Hift.  de  la  Nouvelle 
France,  vol.  in,  p.  380)  mentions 
it  as  the  Pifticoui ;  it  is  now  called 
the  Fox  or  Pifhtaka  or  Piftakee,  and 
a  lake  on  its  courfe  is  alfo  (till  called 
Piftakee. 

18  The  party  made  their  way  to 
Chicago,  where  they  found  a  Jefuit 
Miami  miffion.  The  miffion  of  St. 
Jofeph's  has  been  ufually  fuppofed 
to  have  been  on  the  St.  Jofeph's 
river  from  the  fir  ft.  Chicago  was 


from  a  very  early  date  a  place  of 
importance,  as  one  of  the  routes  to 
the  Miffiffippi.  Perrot  is  faid  to  have 
vifited  it  in  1671,  but  this  is  only  an 
inference  of  Charlevoix,  not  borne 
out  by  the  manufcript  of  Perrct,  to 
which  he  refers.  Marquette  and 
Joliet  pafled  by  it  on  their  return 
from  their  exploration  of  the  MiffiA 
fippi.  Marquette  pafled  a  winter 
there  fubfequently.  Alloue.z  took 
the  fame  route  in  1677.  La  Salle 
on  his  fecond  journey  to  the  Illinois 
went  by  the  way  of  Chicago, 
Joutel  and  Cavelier,  the  author 
of  the  preceding  Journal,  were  at 
Chicago  in  1687-8,  and  La  Hontan 
the  next  year  came  back  from  the 
Miffiffippi  by  the  fame  route.  After 
the  prefent  author  Charlevoix  de- 
fcribes  the  line  of  travel  by  Chicago, 
and  the  portage  is  called  Portage 
aux  Chcnes.  On  De  1'  Ifle's  map 
ofLouifiana  (circa  1717)  the  Def- 
phiines  is  called  the  Chicago. 


52  St.  Cofmes   Voyage 

which  is  about  twenty-five  leagues  from  it.     We 
remained  five  days  at  Kipikufkwi. 

We  left  it  on  the  I7th,  and  after  having  been 
detained  by  wind  the  i8th  and  ipth,  we  cabined 
on  the  2oth  five  leagues  from  the  Chicaqw.  We 
fhould  have  reached  it  early  on  the  21  ft,  but  the 
wind,  which  fuddenly  fprung  up  from  the  lake, 
obliged  us  to  land  half  a  league  from  Apkaw.'9  We 
had  confiderable  difficulty  in  getting  afhore  and 
faving  our  canoes.  We  had  to  throw  everything 
into  the  water.  This  is  a  thing  which  you  muft 
take  good  care  of  along  the  lakes,  and  efpecially  on 
[Lake]  Miffigan,  (the  mores  of  which  are  very  flat) 
to  land  foon  when  the  water  fwells  from  the  lake, 
for  the  breakers  get  fo  large  in  a  fhort  time  that 
the  canoes  are  in  rifk  of  going  to  pieces  and 
lofing  all  on  board  ;  feveral  travellers  have  already 
been  wrecked  there.  We  went  by  land,  Mr.  de 
Montigny,20  Davion  and  myfelf,  to  the  houfe  of 

»9  This  name  is  inexplicable,  by  MefTrs  Davion  and  St.  Cofme. 

They  certainly  flopped  at  Chicago,  The  outfit  of  this  miffion  is  faid  to 

and  the  name  may  have  been  a  have  coft  io,8::o  livres.  They 

tranfcriber's  blunder  for  cette  place,  founded  a  miffion  .at  Tamarois,  of 

that  place.  which  the  Jefuits  complained,  and 

after  confiderable  altercation  Mr. 

ao  Rev.  FRANCIS  JOLLIET  DE  MON-  de  Montigny  in  1700  retired,  and 

TIGNY,  the  leader  of  the  party  going  to  France  rcfufed  to  return  to 

whofe  journey  is  here  deferibed,  America.  He  was  then  fent  to 

was  born  at  Paris,  but  ordained  at  China  where  he  labored  with  great 

Quebec,  March  8,  1693.  After  zeal,  and  becoming  Secretary  to 

being  Cure  of  St.  Ange  Gardienand  Cardinal  de  Tourhon  fhared  his 

Director  of  the  Urfulines,  he  fet  out  exile  and  attended  him  on  his  death 

to  found  a  miffion  of  the  Seminary  bed  in  prifon  at  Macao.  Mr.  de 

of  Quebec  on  the  Miffiffippi.  He  Montigny  then  returned  to  Paris 

bore  the  appointment  of  Vicar  s»v.d  there  became  Director  of  the 

General  of  the  Bifhop  of  Quebec,  Foreign  Miffions,  and  died  in  1725 

and  was  attended,  as  we  here  fee,  at  the  age  of  64. 


Down  the  Mijfijfippi.  53 

the  Reverend  Jefuit  Fathers,  our  people  flaying  with 
the  baggage.  We  found  there  Rev.  Father  Pinet21 
and  Rev.  Father  Buinateau,22  who  had  recently 
come  in  from  the  Illinois  and  were  flightly  fick. 

I  cannot  explain  to  you,  Monfeigneur,  with 
what  cordiality  and  marks  of  efleem  thefe  reverend 
Jefuit  Fathers  received  and  carefled  us  during  the 
time  that  we  had  the  confolation  of  flaying  with 
them.  Their  houfe  is  built  on  the  banks  of  the 
fmall  lake,  having  the  lake  on  one  fide  and  a  fine 
large  prairie  on  the  other.  The  Indian  village  is 
of  over  150  cabins,  and  one  league  on  the  river 
there  is  another  village  almofl  as  large.  They  are 
both  of  the  Miamis.  Rev.  Father  Pinet  makes  it 
his  ordinary  refidence  except  in  winter,  when  the 
Indians  all  go  hunting,  and  which  he  goes  and 
fpends  at  the  Illinois.  We  faw  no  Indians  there, 
they  had  already  flarted  for  their  hunt.  If  we  may 
judge  of  the  future  by  the  little  while  that  Father 
Pinet  has  been  on  this  miffion,  we  may  fay  that 
God  blefTes  the  labors  and  zeal  of  this  holy  miffion- 
ary.  There  will  be  a  great  number  of  good  and 
fervent  Chriflians  there.  It  is  true  that  little  fruit 
is  produced  there  in  thofe  who  have  grown  up  and 
hardened  in  debauchery,  but  the  children  are  bap- 
tized and  even  the  medicine  men,  mofl  oppofed  to 

il[  Father  FRANCIS  PINET  was  the  a  miffionary  in  Maine  in  1693,  and 
founder  of  the  Tamarois  miffion  and  died  of  a  fever  brought  on  by  his 
died  there  about  1704.  labors  foon  after  this  vilit  of  St. 

Cofme,  as  Father  Gravier  in  1700 
does  not  refer  to  him, 


54  St.  C of  me  s  Voyage 

Chriftianity,  allow  their  children  to  be  baptized. 
They  are  even  very  glad  to  have  them  inftructed. 
Many  girls  already  grown  up  and  many  young 
boys  are  being  inftrufted,  fo  that  it  may  be  hoped 
that  when  the  old  ftock  dies  off  there  will  be  a 
new  Chriftian  people. 

On  the  24th  of  October,  the  wind  having 
fallen,  we  made  our  canoes  come  with  all  our  bag- 
gage, and  perceiving  that  the  waters  were  extremely 
low  we  made  a  cache  on  the  more  and  took  only 
what  was  abfolutely  neceiTary  for  our  voyage,  re- 
ferving  till  fpring  to  fend  for  the  reft,  and  we  left 
in  charge  of  it  Brother  Alexander,  who  confented 
to  remain  there  with  Father  Pinet's  man,  and  we 
ftarted  from  Chicaqw  on  the  29th  and  put  up  for 
the  night  about  two  leagues  off,  in  the  little  river 
which  is  then  loft  in  the  prairies.  The  next  day 
we  began  the  portage,  which  is  about  three  leagues 
long  when  the  water  is  low,  and  only  a  quarter  of 
a  league  in  the  fpring,  for  you  embark  on  a  little 
lake  that  empties  into  a  branch  of  the  river  of  the 
Illinois,2^  and  when  the  waters  are  low  you  have 
to  make  a  portage  to  that  branch.  We  made  half 
our  portage  that  day,  and  we  mould  have  made 
fome  progrefs  further,  when  we  perceived  that  a 
little  boy  whom  we  had  received  from  Mr.  de  Muys,24 

23  Mud  Lake,  which  empties  into  French  reports  of  the  weft  (O'Cal- 

the  Defplaines,  and  called  by  the  laghan's  New  York  Col.  Doc.,  ix  ), 

voyageurs  Le  petit  Lac.  See  note,  and  is  apparently  the  one  appointed 

p.  51.  Governor  of  Louifiana  in  1707;  a 

*4M.  DE  MUYS.  An  officer  of  Lieutenant  of  the  fame  name  was  at 

this  name  figures  feveral  times  in  the  Fort  Le  Boeuf  in  October,  1753. 


Down  the  MiJJiJfippi.  55 

having  ftarted  on  alone,  although  he  had  been  told 
to  wait,  had  got  loft  without  any  one  paying  atten- 
tion to  it,  all  hands  being  engaged.  We  were 
obliged  to  ftop  and  look  for  him.  All  fet  out,  we 
fired  feveral  guns,  but  could  not  find  him.  It  was 
a  very  unfortunate  mimap,  we  were  prefled  by  the 
feafon  and  the  waters  being  very  low,  we  faw  well 
that  being  obliged  to  carry  our  effects  and  our  canoe 
it  would  take  us  a  great  while  to  reach  the  Illinois. 
This  made  us  part  company,  Mr.  de  Montigny, 
de  Tonty  and  Davion,2*  continued  the  portage 
next  day,  and  I  with  four  other  men  returned  to 
look  for  this  little  boy,  and  on  my  way  back  I  met 
Fathers  Pinet  and  Buinateau  who  were  going  with 
two  Frenchmen  and  one  Indian  to  the  Illinois. 
We  looked  for  him  again  all  that  day  without  be- 
ing able  to  find  him.  As  next  day  was  the  feaft 
of  All  Saints  this  obliged  me  to  go  and  pafs  the 
night  at  Chikagou  with  our  people,  who  having 
heard  mafs  and  performed  their  devotions  early, 
we  fpent  all  that  day  too  in  looking  for  that  little 
boy  without  being  able  to  get  the  leaft  trace.  It 
was  very  difficult  to  find  him  in  the  tall  grafs,  for 
the  whole  country  is  prairies ;  you  meet  only  fome 
clumps  of  woods.  As  the  grafs  was  high  we  durft 

»S  Rev.  ANTHONY  DAVION  began  incorrigible    tribe   drove  him  out. 

a  miffion  among  the  Tonkas,  but  He  retired  to  New  Orleans  about 

labored   almoft   in    vain.     On  the  1722,  and  died   in  France   about 

murder  of  Rev.  Mr.  Foucault    he  1727.     He  is  faid  to  have  been  a 

retired  to  Mobile,   but  returned  to  native  of  Normandy  and  to  have 

his  port  in  ^04,  and  remained  for  arrived  at  Quebec  in  1690. 
over  twelve   years,    till   in  fa£l  the 


56  St.  Cofme's  Voyage 

not  fet  fire  to  it  for  fear  of  burning  him.  Mr.  de 
Montigny  had  told  me  not  to  ftay  over  a  day,  be- 
caufe  the  cold  was  becoming  fevere ;  this  obliged 
me  to  ftart  after  giving  Brother  Alexander  direc- 
tions to  look  for  him  and  to  take  fome  of  the  French 
who  were  at  Chicag8. 

I  fet  out  the  fecond  of  November  in  the  after- 
noon, made  the  portage,  and  flept  at  the  river  of  the 
Illinois  :z6  we  went  down  the  river  to  an  ifland. 
During  the  night  we  were  furprized  to  fee  an  inch 
of  fnow  and  the  next  day  the  river  frozen  in  feveral 
places,  yet  we  had  to  break  the  ice  and  drag  the 
canoe,  becaufe  there  was  no  water ;  this  forced  us 
to  leave  our  canoe  and  go  in  fearch  of  Mr.  de 
Montigny,  whom  we  overtook  next  day,  the  5th  of 
the  month,  at  Stag  Ifland  (Ifle  aux  Cerfs).  They 
had  already  made  two  leagues  portage,  and  there 
were  ftill  four  to  make  to  Monjolly,  which  we 
made  in  three  days  and  arrived  on  the  8th  of  the 
month.  From  Ifle  a  la  Cache  to  Monjolly27  is  the 

26  This  is  probably  a  miftake  of  France,  which  took  its  name  from 

the  copyift.  the  following  circumftance  : 

"  Madcmoifelle  Joly,  a  French 

27  This  is  the  "well  known  mound  'aftrefs  of  the  latter   part  of  the 

'  at  Joliet,  now  called  Mount  Jolict,  '  eighteenth  century,  having  pafled 

'  once  fuppofed  to  be  a  work  of  art,  '  fomc  agreeable  hours  on  a  hill  near 

'  but  now  generally  conceded  to  be  '  Falaifc,   called  La   Roche-Saint- 

'  a  natural  formation.     The  mate-  '  Quentin,  left  directions  in  her  will 

'  rials  for  paving  ufed  in  Chicago  'that  her  remains 'mould  be  carried 

'  are  obtained  from  that  fource."  '  to  this  folitary  hill,  which  was  fo 

Letter    of   William    Barry,    Efq.  '  dear  to  her  heart.'     Her  wilhes 

Mount  Joliet  may  be  a  miftake  for  '  were  obeyed,  and  the  hill  has  ever 

Monjolly,  and  Monjolly  not  a  cor-  '  fince  been  called  Mont-Joly." 

ruption.     There  is  a  Mont  Joly  in  An  Indian  legend  as  to  this  mound 

is  given  a  few  lines  lower  down. 


Down  the  MiffiJJippi.  57 

fpace  of  feven  leagues.  You  muft  always  make  a 
portage,  there  being  no  water  in  the  river  except  in 
the  fpring.  All  along  this  river  is  very  agreeable. 
It  is  prairies  fkirted  by  hills  and  very  fine  woods, 
where  there  are  numbers  of  deer  as  well  as  on  the 
river.  There  is  abundance  of  game  of  all  kinds,  fo 
that  one  of  our  men  drolling  around  after  making 
the  portage,  killed  enough  to  give  us  a  plentiful 
fupper  and  breakfaft  next  morning.  Monjolly  is 
a  mound  of  earth  in  the  prairie,  on  the  right  as 
you  go  down,  (lightly  elevated,  about  thirty  feet. 
The  Indians  fay  that  at  the  time  of  a  great  deluge 
one  of  their  anceftors  efcaped,  and  that  this  little 
mountain  is  his  canoe  which  he  turned  over  there. 
On  leaving  Monjolly  we  made  about  two  leagues 
to  another  little  portage  of  about  a  quarter  of  a 
league.  As  one  of  our  men,  named  Charbonneau, 
had  killed  feveral  turkeys  and  geefe  in  the  morning 
and  a  deer,  we  did  well  to  give  fomewhat  of  a  treat 
to  our  people  and  let  them  reft  for  a  day. 

On  the  loth  we  made  the  little  portage  and. 
found  half  a  league  of  water,  and  then  two  men 
towed  the  canoe  for  a  league ;  the  reft  marched  on 
land,  each  with  his  pack,  and  we  embarked  for  the 
fpace  of  a  league  and  a  half  and  flopped  for  the 
night  at  a  little  portage,  five  or  fix  arpens28  off. 

On  the  i  ith,  after  making  the  little  portage,  we 
came  to  the  river  Tealike,29  which  is  the  real  river 

*8  The  arpent  is  about  200    feet.     Canadians,    as  Charlevoix  tells  us 
*9  The  Kankakee,  called  by  the     (vo1-  m>  P-  37°),  corrupted  to  Kia- 
Indians  Theakiki,  a  name  which  the     klkl>  whence  Kankakee. 


58  St.  Cofmis   Voyage 

of  the  Illinois ;  that  which  we  had  defcended  be- 
ing only  a  branch.  We  put  all  our  affairs  in  the 
canoe,  which  two  men  towed,  while  Mr.  de 
Tonty  and  we  with  the  reft  of  our  men  marched 
on  land,  always  through  beautiful  prairies.  We 
arrived  at  the  village  of  the  Peanzichias  Miamis 

who  formerly  dwelt  on  the of  the  Miffiffippi 

and  who  fome  years  fince  came  and  fettled  in  this 
place.  There  was  no  one  in  the  village,  all  having 
gone  out  hunting.  We  went  that  day  to  halt  near 
Maffacre,  which  is  a  little  river  that  empties  into  the 
river  of  the  Illinois.29  It  was  from  this  day  that  we 
began  to  have  buffalo,  and  the  next  day  two  of  our 
men  killed  four,  but  as  thefe  animals  are  lean  at  this 
feafon,  they  contented  themfelves  with  taking  the 
tongues.  Thefe  cattle  feem  to  me  larger  than  ours  ; 
they  have  a  hump  on  the  back,  the  legs  are  very 
fhort,  the  head  very  large  and  fo  covered  with  long 
hair,  that  it  is  faid  a  ball  cannot  penetrate  it.  We 
afterwards  faw  them  almoft  every  day  during  our 
voyage  to  the  Akanfeas. 

After  having  had  to  carry  our  baggage  for  three 
days,  and  put  it  all  together  in  the  canoe,  the  river 
being  low  and  full  of  rocks,  we  arrived  on  the 
1 5th  of  November  at  the  place  called  the  Old  Fort. 
It  is  a  rock  which  is  on  the  bank  of  the  river  about 
a  hundred  feet  high,  where  Mr.  de  la  Salle  built  a 

a9  The  Iroquois  River,  Charlevoix  there  furprifed  and  cut  to  pieces  by 

tells  us  (Hift.  dela  Nouvelle  France,  the  Illinois,  but  the  prefent  Iroquois 

,vol.  in,  p.  380),  was  fo  called  be-  is  a  branch  of  the  Kankakee  above 

caufe  an  Iroquois  war  party   was  the  Defplaines. 


Down  the  Mijffijfippi.  59 

fort  which  he  abandoned.30  The  Indians  having 
gone  to  ftay  about  twenty-five  leagues  lower  down, 
we  flept  a  league  below,  where  we  found  two  In- 
dian cabins.  We  were '  confoled  to  fee  one  per- 
fectly good  Chriftian  woman. 

From  Chicagvv  to  the  Fort  they  reckon  thirty 
leagues.  Here  navigation  begins,  which  continues 
uninterrupted  to  the  Fort  of  the  Permavevvi,31  where 
the  Indians  are  now.  We  arrived  there  on  the 
1 9th  of  November.  We  found  R.  Father  Pinet 
there,  who  not  being  loaded  when  they  ftarted 
from  Chicagou  had  arrived  here  fix  or  feven  days 
before  us.  We  alfo  faw  there  Rev.  Father  Marays, 
a  Jefuit.  All  the  reverend  Fathers  gave  us  all  pof- 
fible  welcome.  Their  only  regret  was  to  fee  us 
ftart  fo  foon,  on  account  of  the  frofts,  we  there 
took  a  Frenchman  who  had  fpent  three  years  at 
the  Akanfeas  and  who  knows  the  language  a  little. 

This  Illinois  miflion  feems  to  me  the  fined  that 
Jefuit  Fathers  have  up  here,  for  without  counting 
all  the  children  who  are  baptized,  there  are  many 
grown  perfons  who  have  abandoned  all  their  fuper- 
ftitions  and  live  as  perfectly  good  Chriftians,  fre- 
quenting the  facraments,  and  are  .married  in  the 
church.  We  had  not  the  confolation  of  feeing  all 
thefe  good  Chriftians,  for  they  were  all  difperfed 
going  down  the  bank  of  the  river  to  hunt.  We 
faw  there  only  fome  Indian  women  married  to 
Frenchmen,  who  edified  us  by  their  modefty  and 

30  Rockfort.  of  the  Illinois  nation,  who  have  left 

their  name  to  a  lake. 
31  The  Peorias,one  of  the  branches 


60  St.  Cofmes  Voyage 

by  their  affiduity  in  going  feveral  times  a  day  to 
the  chapel  to  pray.  We  fang  High  Mafs  there 
with  deacon  and  fubdeacon,  on  the  day  of  the 
Prefentation  of  the  BleiTed  Virgin,  and  after  com- 
mending our  voyage  to  her,  and  placing  ourfelves 
under  her  protection,  we  ftarted  from  the  Illinois. 

On  the  22d  of  November  we  had  to  break  the 
ice  for  two  or  three  arpens  to  get  out  of  the  lake 
of  .  We  were  four  canoes,  Mr.  de  Tonty's, 
our  two,  and  another  [of  five?]  young  voyageurs  who 
chofe  to  accompany  us,  partly  on  account  of  Mr.  de 
Tonty,  who  is  generally  loved  by  all  the  voyageurs, 
partly  alfo  to  fee  the  country.  Rev.  Fathers  Buina- 
teau  and  Pinet  alfo  joined  us  for  a  part  of  the  way, 
wifhing  to  go  and  fpend  the  whole  winter  with 
their  Indians. 

The  firft  day  after  our  departure  we  found  the 
cabin  of  Rouenfas,32  the  moft  confiderable  of  the 
Illinois  chiefs.  He  is  a  very  good  Chriftan  and 
received  us  politely,  not  like  a  barbarian,  but  like  a 
well  bred  Frenchman ;  he  took  us  to  his  cabin  and 
forced  us  to  fpend  the  night  there.  He  made  us  a 
prefent  of  three  deer,  one  of  which  he  gave  to  the 
Father,  the  other  to  Mr.  de  Tonty,  and  the  third 
to  us.  We  there  learned  that  the  Charanon,  the 
Chekaihas,  and  Karkinonpols  had  furprized  the 

32  The  name  of  this  chief,  Roinfac,  ChaSanon,  or  Shawnee  ;  the  Karki- 
was  applied  fubfequently  to  the  town  nonpolsare  uncertain;  the  Chekaihas 
of  Kafkaflcia.  are  the  Chickafaws;  the  Kavvkias 

are  the   Kaskias   or   Cahokias,  an 
33  The  copyift,  as  we  remarked     Illinois  tribe, 
before,  has  r  for   the  Greek  8  in 


Down  the  Mifftffippi.  61 

Kawkias,  an  Illinois  nation  that  is  about  five  or  fix 
leagues  below  the  mouth  of  the  River  of  the  Illi- 
nois along  the  Miciflipi.  They  had  killed  ten 
men,  taken  nearly  100  flaves,  as  well  women  as 
children.  As  this  Rouenfas  has  much  talent,  we 
thought  ourfelves  obliged  to  make  him  fome  pre- 
fent  to  induce  him  to  favour  our  paflage  through 
the  Illinois  nations,  not  ib  much  for  this  firft  voyage 
as  for  the  others,  when  we  might  be  in  lefs  force, 
for  all  thefe  peoples  up  here  are  much  inclined  and 
eafily  conceive  jealoufy  when  one  goes  to  other 
nations.  We  therefore  gave  him  a  belt  to  mow 
him  that  we  contracted  an  alliance  with  him,  and 
with  all  his  nation,  and  that  he  being  a  Chriftian 
mould  have  no  greater  pleafure  than  to  fee  other 
nations  partake  of  the  happinefs  that  he  enjoyed, 
and  that  to  this  end  he  was  bound  to  facilitate  as 
much  as  he  could  the  defign  of  the  miflionaries 
who  were  going  to  instruct  them.  We  then  made 
him  a  little  prefent  of  powder. 

On  the  23d  in  the  morning,  after  faying  our 
mafles,  where  Rouenfas  and  his  family  received  at 
Mr.  de  Montigny's  mafs,  we  fet  out  and  came  to  a 
little  Indian  village  where  we  landed.  The  chief, 
by  name  the  Bear,  told  us  that  it  was  not  apropos 
for  us  to  go  to  the  Miciflipi,  but  Mr.  de  Tonty 
gained  or  intimidated  him  by  thefe  words,  telling 
him  that  we  were  envoys  from  the  Mafter  of  Life, 
who  is  the  king,  and  of  the  great  mafter  of  the 
river,  to  inftruct  thofe  Indians  where  we  were 
I 


62  St.  Cofmes  Voyage 

going,  and  that  he  was  fpared  by  the  Governor 
to  accompany  us,  fo  -that  to  give  us  any  trouble 
would  be  to  attack  the  Governor  in  perfon.  As  he 
made  no  reply  to  thefe  words  we  embarked,  and  on 
the  24th  we  went  to  pafs  the  night  at  another  vil- 
lage of  feveral  cabins,  where  we  found  the  one 
called  Tivet,  once  a  famous  chief  in  his  nation,  but 
of  late  abandoned  by  almoft  all  his  people.  He 
made  many  complaints  to  Mr.  de  Tonty,  who  re- 
proached him  with  the  facl:  that  it  was  his  mifcon- 
ducl:  that  drew  on  him  the  hatred  of  his  people, 
and  that  he  had  long  promifed  to  give  up  his  jug- 
glery (for  he  is  a  famous  medicine  man),  but  that 
he  had  done  nothing  of  the  kind.  He  was  after- 
wards there  at  prayers,  and  the  Indian  promifed  to 
be  inftructed. 

The  next  day,  March  25th,  we  parted  with  Rev. 
Father  Pinet,  who  remains  in  this  village  to  pafs 
the  winter,  for  there  was  a  good  number  of  Praying 
Indians,  and  on  the  26  we  found  a  village,  the 
chief  of  which  was  hunting  with  all  his  young  men. 
Some  old  men  came  to  meet  us,  weeping  for  the 
death  of  their  people  defeated  by  the  Chabanons. 
They  told  us  that  we  did  not  do  well  to  go  through 
che  Carrechias34  with  the  Chauanons,  to  whom, 
they  faid,  Mr.  de  Tonty  had  given  arms  and  had 
attacked  them.  Mr.  de  Tonty  replied  that  it  was 
over  three  years  lince  he  left  the  Illinois,  and  that 
he  could  not  have  feen  the  Chauanons  to  give  them 
arms,  but  as  the  Indians  continued  conftantly  fay- 

34The  copyift  here  evidently  blundered  at  Cabkias. 


Down  the  MiffifTtppi.  6? 

M  jj  j.  j.  «-' 

ing  many  unreafonable  things,  we  faw  well  that 
they  were  not  well  difpofed  and  that  we  fhould 
ftart  as  foon  as  poffible,  before  the  youth,  who  were 
to  arrive  next  morning,  came  in.  We  accordingly 
left  abruptly,  Mr.  de  Tonty  telling  them  that  he 
did  not  fear  men.  They  told  us  that  they  bewailed 
our  youth,  who  would  be  killed.  Mr.  de  Tonty 
replied  that  they  had  feen  him  meet  the  Iroquois, 
and  that  they  knew  that  he  could  kill  men.  It 
muft  be  avowed  that  the  Indians  have  a  very  great 
efteem  for  him ;  it  is  enough  for  him  to  be  in  a 
party  to  prevent  their  offering  any  infult.  We 
embarked  at  once  and  went  to  pafs  the  night  five 
or  fix  leagues  from  this  village.  .The  next  day  we 
were  detained  a  part  of  the  day  by  reafon  of  a  great 
quantity  of  ice  that  was  floating  in  the  river. 

On  the  28th  we  landed  at  a  village  where  there 
were  about  twenty  cabins.  We  there  faw  the 
chief's  wife.  This  woman  is  very  influential  in 
the  nation  on  account  of  her  talent  and  liberality, 
and  becaufe  having  many  fons  and  fons-in-law, 
all  hunters,  me  often  gives  banquets,  which  is  a 
means  of  foon  acquiring  influence  among  thefe 
Indians,  and  all  their  nations.  We  faid  mafs  in 
the  village  in  the  cabin  of  a  foldier  named  La 
Violette,  married  to  a  fquaw,  whofe  child  Mr.  de 
Montigny  baptized.  Mr.  de  Tonty  related  to  this 
chieftainefs  what  they  had  faid  to  us  in  the  laft 
village.  She  difapproved  it  all  and  told  him  that 
all  the  nation  felt  great  joy  to  fee  him  and  us  too, 


64  St.  Cofmes   Voyage 

but  what  grieved  her  was  not  to  be  fure  of  feeing 
him  again  and  pofleffing  him  longer. 

We  left  this  village  and  made  about  eight  leagues. 
From  the  29th  of  November  to  the  3d  of  Decem- 
ber we  were  detained  at  the  fame  place  by  the  ice, 
by  which  the  river  was  entirely  blocked  up. 
During  all  this  time  we  had  provifions  in  plenty, 
for  one  can  not  faft  on  this  river,  fo  abundant  is  it 
in  game  of  all  kinds,  fwans,  geefe,  ducks.  It  is 
fkirted  by  very  fine  woods,  which  are  not  very 
large,  fo  that  you  fometimes  meet  fine  prairies, 
where  there  are  numbers  of  deer.  Charbonneau 
killed  feveral  while  we  were  detained.  Others  alfo 
killed  fome.  The  navigation  of  this  river  is  not 
very  good  when  the  water  is  low.  We  were 
fometimes  obliged  to  march  with  a  part  of  our 
people  while  the  others  conducted  the  canoes,  not 
without  difficulty,  being  fometimes  obliged  to  get 
into  the  water  which  was  already  very  cold. 
During  our  delay,  Rev.  Father  Buineteau,  whom 
we  had  left  at  the  village  of  the  chief's  wife,  came 
to  fee  us  and  after  fpending  a  day  with  us  returned 
to  the  village  for  the  Feaft  of  St.  Francis  Xavier. 
On  that  day  a  high  wind  having  broken  a  part 
of  the  ice  we  made  about  a  league.  The  next 
day,  having  taken  wooden  canoes  at  five  Indian 
cabins,  we  broke  about  three  or  four  arpens  of  ice 
that  blocked  up  the  river,  and  was  about  four 
inches  thick  and  bore  men  on  it.  Then  we  had 
navigation  free  to  the  Miciflipi,  where  we  arrived 


Down  the  Miffi/Iippi.  65 

JJ  JU   J.  J.  *f 

on  the  5th  of  December,  after  having  made  about 
eight  leagues  from  the  Fort  of  Peniteni." 

Miciffippi  is  a  large  and  beautiful  river,  that 
comes  from  the  north.  It  divides  into  feveral 
channels  at  the  part  where  the  river  of  the  Illinois 
empties,  which  forms  very  beautiful  iflands.  It 
makes  feveral  bends  but  feems  to  me  to  keep  always 
the  fame  direction  to  the  fouth  as  far  as  the  Akanfeas. 
It  is  lined  by  very  fine  forefts.  The  bank  on  both 
fides  appears  about  thirty  feet  high,  which  does 
not  prevent  its  inundating  far  into  the  woods  in 
the  fpring  when  the  waters  are  high,  except  fome 
hills  or  very  elevated  fpots  occafionally  met  with. 
You  find  all  along  great  quantities  of  buffalo,  bear, 
deer.  You  alfo  fee  a  very  great  number  of  birds. 
We  always  had  fo  great  a  quantity  of  meat  along 
this  river  as  far  as  the  Acanfeas,  that  we  paffed 
feveral  herds  of  buffalo  without  caring  to  fire  at 
them. 

On  the  6th  of  December  we  embarked  on  the 
Miciflippi.  After  making  about  fix  leagues  we 
found  the  great  river  of  the  Miffouris,  which  comes 
from  the  weft,  and  which  is  fo  muddy  that  it  fpoils 
the  waters  of  the  Miciflipi,  which  down  to  this 
river  are  very  clear.  It  is  faid  that  there  are  up 
this  mountain  (river?)  a  great  number  of  Indians- 
Three  or  four  leagues  [further]  we  found  on  the 
left  a  rock  having  fome  figures  painted  on  it,  for 
which,  it  is  faid,  the  Indians  have  fome  veneration. 

SSPometeouy,  or  Peoriait  would     from  the  Miffiffippi  in  1721.  Charle- 
feem,  but  that  was  feventy  leagues     voix,ui,  391. 


66  St.  Cofmis  Voyage 

They  are  now  almoft  effaced.36  We  went  that 
day  to  Kavvechias,37  who  were  ftill  mourning  over 
the  blow  inflicted  on  them  by  the  Chikakas  and 
Chouanons ;  they  all  began  to  weep  on  our  arrival. 
They  did  not  feem  to  us  fo  hoftile  or  ill  difpofed  as 
fome  Illinois  Indians  had  told  us  of  thefe  poor 
people,  who  excited  more  our  companion  than  our 
fear. 

The  next  day  about  noon  we  reached  the  Tama- 
rois.38  The  Indians  had  been  early  notified  of  our 
coming  by  another  who  had  ftarted  from  the 
Akanfeas^  to  carry  them  the  news.  As  they  had 
given  trouble  to  fome  of  Mr.  de  Tonty's  men  a 
year  before,  they  were  afraid,  and  all  the  women 
and  children  fled  from  the  village ;  but  we  did  not 
go  to  it,  as  we  wifhed  to  prepare  for  the  feaft  of  the 
Conception,  we  cabined  on  the  other  fide  of  the 
river  on  the  right.  Mr.  de  Tonty  went  to  the 
village  and  having  reafTured  them  a  little,  he 
brought  us  the  chief  who  begged  us  to  go  and  fee 
him  in  his  village.  We  promifed  to  do  fo  and 
next  day,  Feaft  of  the  Conception,  after  faying  our 
MafTes  we  went  with  Mr.  de  Tonty  and  feven  of 
our  men  well  armed.  They  came  to  receive  us 
and  took  us  to  the  chief's  cabin.  All  the  women 
and  children  were  there,  and  we  were  no  fooner 
there  than  the  young  folks  and  women  broke  in  a 
part  to  be  able  to  fee  us.  They  had  never  feen 

3<>  This  is  the  Piefa,  or  painted       3^  The  Tamarois,  or  Maroas,  were 
rock,  firft  mentioned  by  Marquette.     an  Illinois  tribe. 

37  Cahokias.  39  This  name  is  evidently  wrong. 


Down  the  Mifli/fjppi.  67 

•*/  *X/  £  A  ' 

any  Black  Gown  except  for  a  few  days  the  Rev. 
Father  Gravier,40  who  had  paid  them  a  vifit. 
They  gave  us  a  meal,  and  we  made  them  a  little 
prefent  as  we  had  done  to  the  Carrechias.  We  told 
them  that  it  was  to  mow  them  that  we  had  a  well 
made  heart,  and  that  we  wifhed  to  contract  an 
alliance  with  them,  fo  that  they  mould  kindly  re- 
ceive our  people  who  often  patted  there,  and  that 
they  mould  give  them  food.  They  received  it 
with  many  thanks  and  then  we  returned.  The 
Tamarois  were  cabined  on  an  ifland  lower  down 
than  their  village,  perhaps  to  get  wood  more  eafily, 
from  which  their  village,  which  is  on  the  edge  of  a 
prairie,  is  fomewhat  diftant ;  perhaps  too  for  fear 
of  their  enemies.  We  could  not  well  fee  whether 
they  were  very  numerous.  They  feemed  to  us 
quite  fo,  although  the  greater  part  of  their  people 
were  hunting.  There  was  wherewith  to  form  a 
fine  miflion  by  bringing  here  the  Kavvchias,  who 
are  quite  near,  and  the  Michiagamias,  who  are  a 
little  lower  down  on  the  MiiTiffippi,  and  faid  to  be 
quite  numerous.41  •  4We  did  not  fee  them  as  they 
had  gone  inland  to  hunt.  The  three  villages  fpeak 
Illinois. 

We  left  Tamarois  on   the  8th  of  December,  in 

.1 

4°  The  author  of  a  fubfequent  fore  1721  (Charlevoix,  vol.  ui,  p. 

Journal  in  this  volume.  39^).  Their  language  was  how- 
ever different,  as  we  fee  by  Fa- 

41  The  Metchigamias  were  lower  ther  Marquette's  Journal  where 

down  the  Miffiffippi  in  Marquette's  he  defcribes  the  critical  moment 

time,  but  joined  the  Illinois  and  -be-  when  the  tribe  poured  out  to  attack 

came  incorporated  with  them  be-  him, 


68  St.  Cofmes   Voyage 

the  afternoon.  On  the  loth  we  faw  a  hill  which 
is  about  three  arpents  diftance  from  the  Miciffipi, 
on  the  right  hand  going  down.  After  being  de- 
tained a  part  of  the  nth  by  the  rain,  we  arrived 
early  on  the  1 2th  at  Cape  St.  Antoine,  where  we 
remained  that  day  and  all  the  next  to  get  pitch, 
which  we  needed.  There  are  many  "pines  from 
Cape  St.  Antoine  to  a  river  lower  down,  and  it 
is  the  only  fpot  where  I  faw  any  from  Chigagou 
to  the  Acanfeas.  Cape  St.  Antoine  is  a  rock  on 
the  left  as  you  go  down  Some  arpents  below  there 
is  another  rock  on  the  right  which  advances  into 
the  river,  and  forms  an  iiland,  or  rather  a  rock 
about  200  feet  high,  which  making  the  river  turn 
back  very  abruptly  and  narrowing  the  channel 
forms  a  kind  of  whirlpool  there,  where  it  is  faid 
a  canoe  is  ingulfed  at  the  high  waters.  Fourteen 
Miamis  were  once  loft  there,  which  has  rendered 
the  fpot  fearful  among  the  Indians,  fo  that  they  are 
accuftomed  to  make  fome  facrifices  to  this  rock 
when  they  pafs.  We  faw  no  figure  there  as  we 
had  been  told.42  You  afcend  this  ifland  and  rock 
by  a  hill  with  confiderable  difficulty.  On  it  we 
planted  a  beautiful  crofs,  finging  the  Vexilla  Regis, 
and  our  people  fired  three  volleys  of  mufketry. 
God  grant  that  the  Crofs  which  has  never  been 
known  in  thefe  regions,  may  triumph  there  and 
our  Lord  pour  forth  abundantly  on  them  the  merits 
of  his  holy  paffion,  that  all  the  Indians  may  know 

4*  See  Marquette's  account  in  his  Journal,  feftion  7. 


Down  the  Mijfijfippi.  69 

and  ferve  him.  At  Cape  St.  Antoine  you  begin  to 
find  canes.  There  is  alfo  a  kind  of  large  tree  like 
the  whitewood,  which  exudes  a  gum  of  very  good 
odor  ;  you  find  too  all  along  the  MicifTipi  a  quantity 
of  fruit  trees  unknown  in  Canada,  the  fruit  of  which 
is  excellent.  We  found  fometimes  fruit  ftill  on  the 
trees.  I  had  forgotten  to  note  here  that  [fince]  we 
were  on  the  MicifTipi  we  did  not  perceive  that  we 
were  in  winter,  and  the  more  we  defcended  the 
greater  heat  we  found,  yet  the  nights  are  cool. 

We  left  Cape  St.  Antoine  on  the  1410.  of  De- 
cember, and  on  the  I5th  we  halted  for  the  night 
one  league  below  the  Wabache,43  a  large  and  beau- 
tiful river  which  is  on  the  left  of  the  Miciflipi  and 
comes  from  towards  the  north,  and  is  they  fay  five 
hundred  leagues  long,  and  rifes  near  the  Sonontu- 
ans.44  They  go  by  this  river  to  the  Chauanons, 
who  trade  with  the  Englifh. 

On  the  1 6th  we  ftarted  from  Wabache,  and 
nothing  fpecial  befel  us,  nor  did  we  find  any  thing 
remarkable  till  the  Acanfeas,  except  that  we  found 
a  certain  bird,  as  large  as  a  fwan,  which  has  the  bill 
about  a  foot  long,  and  the  throat  of  extraordinary 
fize,  fo  large  in  ibme,  they  fay,  that  it  would  hold 
a  bufhel  of  wheat.  The  one  that  we  took  was  a 
fmall  one  and  would  eafily  have  held  in  his  throat 

43  The  Ohio,   long  called  Wa-     Gravier's  Journal   in  this  volume, 
bafh  by  the  French  from  its  mouth     and  the  note  on  the  Arkanfas,  p,  75). 
to  the  fource  of  the  prcfcnt  Wa- 
bafh  ;  the  Ohio  being  the  part  from         44  Senecas, 
Pitt/burgh    to    the    Wabafh     (fee 

K 


yo  .  St.  Cofmes  Voyage 

half  a  bufhel.  They  fay  that  this  bird  gets  in  the 
current,  and  opening  his  large  bill  [takes  the  fifh]  that 
thruft  themfelves  into  his  gullet.  Our  Frenchmen 
call  this  bird  Chibek.45  On  the  22d  we  found  a 
fmall  river  on  the  left  going  down,  which  is  faid  to 
be  the  road  to  go  to  the  Chicachas,  who  area.large 
nation,  and  it  is  fuppofed  that  it  is  not  very  far  from 
this  little  river  to  their  villages. 

On  the  24th  we  cabined  early  fo  that  our  people 
might  prepare  for  the  great  feaft  of  Chriftmas. 
We  made  a  little  chapel ;  we  fang  a  high  mafs  at 
midnight  where  our  people  and  all  the  French  at- 
tended their  duties.  Chriftmas  day  was  fpent  in 
faying  our  mafles,  all  which  our  people  heard  and 
in  the  afternoon  we  chanted  Vefpers.  We  were 
greatly  aftonifhed  to  fee  the  earth  tremble  at  one 
clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  although  this  earth- 
quake did  not  laft  long,  it  was  violent  enough  for 
all  to  perceive  it  eafily.  We  ftarted  next  day  a 
little  late,  becaufe  we  had  to  wait  for  an  Indian 
boy  that  Mr.  de  Tonty  had,  who  went  into  the 
woods  the  day  before  to  look  for  fruit  and  got  loft. 
We  thought  that  he  might  have  been  taken  by 
fome  Chicacha  warriors,  which  obliged  us  to  keep 
watch  and  ward  all  night,  but  we  were  quite  glad 
to  fee  him  come  back  next  morning.  We  fet  out 
and  went  to  cabin  for  the  night  near  the  fpot  where 
the  Kappas,46  a  nation  of  the  Akanfeas  were 
formerly. 

45  The  Grandgozier  or  Pelican,     powerful  Arkanfas   nation.     Some 

46  This   tribe,  the  Quapaws,  is     would  identify  them  with  the  Paca- 
now  the  fole  remnant  of  the  once     ^ 


Down  the   MijJlJJtppi.  71 

On  St.  John's  day,  after  making  about  five 
leagues,  we  faw  fome  wooden  canoes  and  an  Indian 
on  the  water's  edge ;  as  we  were  near  and  were 
afraid  that  he  would  take  to  flight  on  feeing  us, 
one  of  our  men  took  the  calumet  and  fung.  He 
was  heard  at  the  village  which  was  quite  near;  a 
part  ran  away,  the  others  brought  the  calumet  and 
came  to  receive  us  at  the  water's  edge.  They 
rubbed  us  when  we  came  up  and  then  rubbed 
themfelves,  a  mark  of  efteem  among  the  Indians. 
They  took  us  on  their  moulders  and  carried  us  to 
a  chief's  cabin.  There  was  a  hill  of  potter's  clay 
to  get  up  and  the  one  that  carried  fank  under  his 
burden.  I  was  afraid  that  he  would  let  me  fall  and 
fo  I  got  down  in  fpite  of  him  and  went  up  the  hill, 
but  as  foon  as  I  got  to  the  top  I  had  absolutely  to 
get  on  his  back  and  be  carried  to  the  cabin.  Some 
time  after  they  came  to  chant  the  Calumet47  for  us, 
and  the  next  afternoon  they  carried  us  to  another 
cabin,  where  making  Mr.  de  Tonty  and  us  alfo 
fit  down  on  bear  fkins,  and  four  chiefs  having  each 
taken  a  calumet  that  they  had  placed  before  us,  the 
others  began  to  fing,  ftriking  on  a  kind  of.  drum, 
made  of  earthen  pots  over  which  they  place  a  fkin  : 
they  hold  in  their  hands  a  gourd  with  pebbles  in  it, 
which  make  a  noife,  and  then  chant  according  with 
the  found  of  thefe  drums,  and  the  found  of  thefe 
gourds.  This  makes  a  mufic  which  is  not  the  moft 
agreeable,  while  an  Indian  who  was  behind  rocked 

47  Marquette   firft   defcribed  the     fome  intercfting  details  as  to  it. 
Calumet,  and  Father  Gravier  gives 


72  St.  Cofmes   Voyage 

us.  We  were  foon  difgufted  with  this  ceremony, 
which  they  perform  for  all  ftrangers,  as  they  efteem. 
it  and  you  muft  fuffer  it  or  pafs  for  being  ill  dif- 
pofed  and  having  bad  defigns.  We  put  fome  of  our 
people  in  our  place  after  {laying  there  a  little  while, 
and  they  had  the  pleafure  of  being  rocked  all  night. 
The  next  day  they  made  us  a  prefent  of  a  little 
flave  and  of  fome  fkins,  which  we  repaid  by  another 
prefent  of  knives  and  other  things  that  they  efleem 
highly.  We  were  much  confoled  to  fee  ourfelves 
in  the  [propofed]  places  of  our  miffions,  but  we  were 
fenfibly  afflicted  to  fee  this  Acanfea  nation  once  fo 
numerous  entirely  deftroyed  by  war  and  ficknefs. 
It  is  not  a  month  fince  they  got  over  the  fmall 
pox  which  carried  off  the  greateft  part  of  them. 
There  was  nothing  to  be  feen  in  the  village  but 
graves.  There  were  two  [tribes]  together  there 
and  we  eftimated  that  there  were  not  a  hundred 
men ;  all  the  children  and  a  great  part  of  the  wo- 
men were  dead.  Thefe  Indians  feem  of  a  very  good 
difpofition.  We  were  every  moment  invited  to 
feafts.  They  poflefs  extraordinary  fidelity.  They 
tranfpprted  all  we  had  to  a  cabin,  and  it  remained 
there  for  two  days  without  anything  being  taken, 
and  for  ourfelves  there  was  nothing  loft.  One  of 
our  men  having  forgotten  his  knife  in  a  cabin,  an 
Indian  at  once  came  to  reftore  it.  Polygamy  is 
not  common  among  them.  Yet  we  faw  in  the 
village  of  the  Kappas  one  of  thofe  wretched  men 
who  from  their  youth  drefs  as  women,  ferving 
for  the  moft  fhameful  of  vices,  but  this  wretch  was 


Down  the  MifftJJlppi.  73 

not  of  their  nation  :  he  was  an  Illinois,  among 
whom  this  is  quite  common.  Thefe  Indians  have 
in  abundance,  corn,  beans,  fquafhes.  As  for  hunt- 
ing, being  crufhed  by  ficknefs  and  in  conftant  fear 
of  their  enemies,  we  faw  no  figns  of  any  in  their 
village.  They  cabin  like  the  Hurons,  ufing  large 
earthen  pots  inftead  of  kettles  and  well  made 
pitchers.  They  are  quite  naked  except  that  when 
they  go  out  they  throw  a  buffalo  robe  around 
them.  The  women  and  girls  are  like  the  Illinois 
half  naked:  they  have  a  fkin  hanging  down  from 
the  waift  and  reaching  to  the  knees ;  fome  have  a 
fmall  deer  fkin  like  a  fcarf. 

We  remained  in  this  village  two  days  and  a  half, 
and  after  planting  a  crofs  that  we  told  them  was 
a  fign  of  our  union,  we  flarted  on  the  3Oth  of 
November  [  ?  December]  to  go  to  their  other  vil- 
lage which  is  about  nine  leagues  from  this.  It 
was  a  deep  regret  to  part  with  Mr.  de  Tonty  who 
could  not  go  with  us  for  feveral  reafons.  He 
would  much  have  defired  to  bear  us  company  to 
the  other  nations  where  we  were  going,  but  buii- 
nefs  called  him  back  to  the  Illinois.  He  is  the 
man  that  beft  knows  the  country.  He  has  been 
twice  to  the  fea;  he  has  been  twice  far  inland  to 
the  remoteft  nations  ;  he  is  loved  and  feared  every 
where.  If  they  were  exploring  thefe  parts,  I  do 
not  think  that  they  can  confide  it  to  a  more  expe- 
rienced man  than  he  is.  Your  grace,  Monfeigneur, 
will,  I  doubt  not,  take  pleafure  in  acknowledging 
the  obligations  we  owe  him. 


74  St.  Cofmes   Voyage 

We  flept  at  the  mouth  of  the  Acanfeas  river, 
which  is  about  250  leagues  diftant  from  that  of  the 
Illinois.  We  arrived  early  next  morning  at  the 
village.  The  Indians  came  to  meet  us  with  the 
calumet ;  they  led  us  to  the  village  with  the  fame 
ceremonies  as  the  firft.  We  fpent  two  days  there. 
This  village  feems  to  me  a  little  more  populous 
than  the  other,  there  were  more  children.  We 
told  them  that  we  were  going  further  down  to 
their  neighbours  and  friends;  that  they  would  fee 
us  often  ;  that  they  would  do  well  to  aflemble  all 
together  fo  as  more  eafily  to  refift  their  enemies. 
They  agreed  to  all  and  promifed  to  try  and  make 
the  Ozages  join  them,  who  had  left  the  river  of  the 
Miflburis  and  were  on  the  upper  waters  of  their 
river. 

We  ftarted  on  the  2d  of  January  and  went  to 
cabin  at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  where  the  French, 
who  were  going  back,  would  give  us  only  one  day 
to  write.  I  expected  to  have  more  time  to  do  it, 
hoping  to  go  up  from  the  Acanfeas  to  the  Illinois, 
but  as  we  are  going  much  further  down  I  am  afraid 
that  the  letters  that  we  write  hereafter  may  not 
reach  you  this  year,  the  opportunity  being  part 
when  we  reached  the  Illinois.  I  therefore  beg 
your  grace  to  excufe  me,  if  this  is  fomewhat  ill 
digelted.  Time  prefles  fo  much  on  me,  that  I 
cannot  write  even  to  any  of  our  gentlemen,  whom 
I  beg  you  to  permit  me  to  falute  and  commend 
myfelf  to  their  holy  facrifices.  I  hope  that  your 
Grace  will  grant  me  the  fame  favour. 


Down  the  Mijfiffippi.  75 

From  his  good  fervant  before  our  Lord.     From 
him  who  is  with  the  moft  profound  refpecl, 
Monfeigneur, 

Your  Grace's 

Moft  humble  and  moft,  &c. 


LETTER  OF  MR.  DE  MONTIGNY. 

WE  arrived  fafely  among  the  nations  that  we 
fought  after  fix  months'  navigation,  which 
was  not  interrupted  by  winter.  Thefe  nations  have 
received  us  with  a  joy  and  a  welcome  that  I  can- 
not exprefs,  efpecially  when  they  learned  that  we 
had  come  to  ftay  among  them.  The  firft  among 
whom  we  thought  of  eftablifhing  [a  miflion]  are 
the  Tonicas,  who  are  fixty  leagues  lower  down 
than  the  Akanfeas.48  Mr.  Davion  has  ftationed 
himfelf  there.  The  fpot  where  he  is  is  quite  fine. 

48  The  Arkanfas  were  evidently  of  the  Arkanfas,  from  its  having 

fo  called  by  the  northern  Algonquin  been  the  relidence  of  that  people, 

nations,  and   efpecially  by  the  Illi-  La  Metairie,  the  notary  of  La  Salle's 

nois.      Marquette    firlt    gives    the  expedition,  calls  the  Ohio,  the  Oli- 

name    Akanfen,    and    the    French  ghinfipou,  or  Aleghin,  evidently  an 

who    fettled    in    Illinois    feem   to  Algonquin   word,  Jtpou  being  the 

have  confirmed  ir.     The  tribe  call-  term  river.     Arkanfas  is  written  in 

ed  themfelves  Ouguapas  or  Qua-  fome  of  the  early  Louifiana  papers 

paws,  apparently  the   Ouyapes  of  Alkanfas.      This   and   Aleghin   or 

Charlevoix.     Their  language  is  a  Olighin,  in  the  French  pronuncia- 

Dahcotah  dialect.     Gravier  in  his  tion  are  not  very  diffimilar.    When 

Journal  ftates  the  important  faft  that  we  confider  that  the  Delawares  and 

the  Illinois  called  the  Ohio,  the  river  Illinois,  are  kindred  nations  of  the 


76 


St.  Cofmes   Voyage 


With  fome  fmall  villages  of  fome  other  nation 
who  are  with  them,  they  make  about  2000  fouls. 
About  one  day's  journey  lower  down  (that  is  to  fay 
20  leagues),  are  the  Taenfas,  who  fpeak  another 
language.  They  are  only  a  fhort  day's  journey 
from  the  Natchez,  who  are  of  the  fame  nation  and 
fpeak  the  fame  language.  For  the  prefent  I  refide 
among  the  Taenfas,49  but  am  to  go  fhortly  to  the 
Natchez.  This  nation  is  very  great  and  more 
numerous  than  theTonicas.  The  Taenfas  are  only 
about  700  fouls.  As  for  Mr.  de  St.  Cofme  he  re- 
mains at  the  Tamarouois.  The  Akanfeas  would  have 
greatly  defired  us  to  flay  among  them,  but  as  they 
were  not  aflembled  in  a  iingle  village  [but  fcattered] 
which  would  have  been  too  difficult  to  attend,  we 
have  advifed  them  to  aflemble  together  fo  as  to 
have  a  midionary.  This  they  are  going  to  do  next 
fpring,  and  they  wim  even  to  make  us  a  houfe  alfo 


fame  name  (Lenni,  lllini)  it  may  be 
that  the  Quappaws  are  the  Alleghans 
or  Allegewi,  whom  the  Delawares 
fay  they  and  the  Iroquois  drove 
down  the  Mifliflippi.  If  the  Qua- 
paws  are  the  Pacahas  of  De  Soto, 
the  retreat  from  the  Ohio  muft  date 
back  to  the  fifteenth  century  at  leaft. 
When  firft  difcovered  by  the  French 
the  Arkanfas  were  divided  into  four 
tribes:  I,  the  Kappas;  2,  the  Toy- 
engan  or  Tongenga,  Doginga,  To- 
gengas  or  Topingas ;  3,  the  Tori- 
man,  Toreman  or  Tourimans  ;  4, 
the  Atotchafi,  Ofotonoy  or  Aflbu- 
toue,  Ofitteoez,  Otfotchove  or  Sau- 


thouis,  as  the  names  are  differently 
given  by  different  authors.  A  rem- 
nant of  the  tribe  ftill  exifts,  and  are 
known  as  the  Quapaws. 

49  The  Taenfas  were  firft  de- 
fcribed  by  Father  Membre  (fee  his 
Journal  in  Dijcovery  and  Explora- 
tion of  the  MiffiJ/ippi  Valley,  170-2, 
and  alfo  Thaumur  and  Gravier, 
pojl).  Le  Page  da  Pratz  fays  they 
were  a  branch  of  the  Natchez  and 
fpoke  the  fame  language  (n,  219). 
They  had  entirely  difappeared  prior 
to  1712.  (Cbarlevoix  Hijl.  de  la 
Nouvelle  France,  in,  438.) 


Down  the  Milfifjippi.  77 

JLJ  JL/    J.   J.  /    / 

to  induce  us  to  go  and  fee  them  and  to  remain  with 
them.  Thefe  people  are  very  mild,  give  a  warm 
welcome  and  have  a  great  efteem  for  the  French ; 
they  are  fedentary,  cultivate  the  earth,  living  on 
nothing  fcarcely  but  Indian  corn. 

I  often  fpeak  of  the  Tonicas  and  the  Taenfas  and 
of  thofe  who  are  on  the  banks  of  the  Miciffipi 
going  down  to  the  fea,  for  far  inland  the  Indians 
are  in  great  numbers.  They  have  rather  fine  tem- 
ples, the  walls  of  which  are  of  mats.  That  of  the 
Taenfas  has  walls  feven  or  eight  feet  thick  on  ac- 
count of  the  great  number  of  mats  one  on  another. 
They  regard  the  Serpent  as  one  of  their  divinities  fo 
far  as  I  could  fee.  They  would  not  dare  to  accept 
or  appropriate  anything  of  the  flighteft  confequence 
without  taking  it  to  the  temple.  When  they  re- 
ceive anything  it  is  with  a  kind  of  veneration  that 
they  turn  towards  this  temple.  They  do  not  feem 
to  be  debauched  in  their  lives.  On  account  of  the 
great  heat  the  men  go  naked,  and  the  women  and 
girls  are  not  well  covered,  and  the  girls  up  to  the 
age  of  twelve  years  go  entirely  naked.  They  are 
fo  mild  and  have  fo  much  deference  for  what  we 
told  them,  that  I  perfuade  myfelf  that  it  will  not 
be  very  difficult  when  I  know  their  language  a 
little  to  reform  this  abufe,  which  among  them 
makes  no  impreffion,  they  being  accuftomed  to  it 
from  childhood.  They  have  alfo  another  abufe. 
When  their  chiefs  are  dead,  as  he  has  been  more 
efteemed,  the  more  perfons  they  kill  who  offer 
themfelves  to  die  with  him,  and  laft  year,  when 
L 


St.  Cofmes   Voyage 

the  chief  of  the  Taenfas  died,  there  were  twelve 
perfons  who  offered  to  die,  and  whom  they  toma- 
hawked. There  is  never  any  winter  among  them, 
they  do  not  know  fnow  and  have  never  feen  it. 
There  is  always  grafs  there,  and  at  the  end  of 
January,  the  peach  and  plum  trees  and  violets  were 
in  bloffom.  I  have  feen  about  this  time  at  the 
Taenfas  as  great  heats  as  in  midfummer  at  Kebeq, 
and  yet  thofe  who  have  fpent  the  fummer  there 
affirm  that  it  is  not  hotter  than  at  Quebec.  The 
foil  is  very  good,  the  Indian  corn  grows  fometimes 
twenty  feet  high,  and  a  fingle  grain  will  fend  out 
ten  or  twelve  ftalks  almoft  as  thick  as  your  arm. 
There  are  a  great  many  herbs  and  plants  and  others 
which  are  unknown  to  us.  If  you  have  any  wifh  to 
fee  the  drefs  of  our  Indians,  we  fend  one  to  Mr.  Leui- 
fen,  who  will  fhow  it  to  you.  As  we  do  not  know  the 
language,  we  have  not  yet  made  any  great  conver- 
fions,  neverthelefs  we  have  the  confolation  of  having 
baptized  feveral  dying  children  and  a  very  diftin- 
guimed  chief  of  the  Tonicas,  whom  we  inftructed 
by  interpreters.  We  were  furprifed  to  fee  fuch 
judgment  in  an  Indian  and  difpolitions  as  Chriftian 
as  what  he  had.  As  he  was  in  extremis  we  bap- 
tized him  and  gave  him  the  name  of  Paul.  He 
died  the  next  day,  after  making  acts  of  religion 
which  greatly  edified  us. 

I  beg  you  kindly  to  continue  your  good  prayers 
for  our  miffions,  for  I  am  perfuaded  and  juftly,  that 
they  it  is  that  have  obtained  us  a  profperous  voyage. 
I  falute  all  the  community.  I  mould  have  liked  to 


Down  the  Miffiffippi.  79 

write  to  feveral,  but  have  not  been   able.     I  am 
more  than  I  can  tell,  in  our  Lord— 

DE  MONTIGNY. 
Fron  the  Akanfeas,  this  2d  January,  1699. 


LETTER  OF  MR.  THAUMUR  DE  LA 
SOURCE. 

THIS  is  to  let  you  know  that  we  have  accom- 
plifhed  the  Akanfeas  voyage,  quite  fafely, 
thank  God,  and  have  defcended  within  200  leagues 
of  the  fea.  I  will  not  fpeak  to  you  of  our  route 
from  Michilimaquinac  to  the  Akanfeas  in  this  that 
I  have  the  honour  of  writing  you,  for  fear  of  tiring 
you.  Our  gentlemen  have  drawn  up  a  relation 
which  they  fend  to  the  Bimop.  I  fuppofe  that  you 
will  fee  it.  It  will  tell  you  all  the  adventures  of 
the  voyage.  We  [arrived]  on  the  iyth  of  Decem- 
ber at  the  Akanfeas,  where  we  were  very  well  re- 
ceived. They  did  not  know  how  to  treat  us  beft. 

This  fine  nation,  which  is  fpoken  of is  almoft 

entirely  deftroyed  by  war  and  ficknefs.  It  is  a  great 
pity.  They  are  the  beft  made,  frankeft  and  beft 
difpofed  men  that  we  have  feen.  We  planted  a 
crofs  there  and  when  they  go  to  hunt  they  do  the 
fame  thing.  On  our  way  back  we  found  one  that 
they  had  planted  on  the  banks  of  the  Miciffipi. 
They  await  a  miflionary  in  great  impatience. 
Mr.  de  Montigny  feeing  them  irrefolute  about 


8o  St.  Cofmes  Voyage, 

going  further  down,  we  fet  out  on  the  4th  of  Janu- 
ary, with  little  provifions,  expecting  to  find  game 
as  ufual,  for  from  Chikagou  to  the  Akanfeas  in  the 
Miciflipi,  the  bifon  and  cows  are  fo  numerous  that 
you  cannot  lack  provifions  if  you  have  powder  and 
ball.  Bear  and  deer  are  very  numerous  ;  we  killed 
feveral  with  fwords.  On  ftarting  from  the  Akan- 
feas we  had  rain  for  the  fpace  of  five  days,  during 
which  we  made  no  great  progrefs.  Our  whole 
flock  of  provifion  confided  of  dried  fquafh,  and 
even  of  that  we  did  not  make  half  a  meal.  On 
Twelfth  day  we  did  not  eat  a  bit.  On  the  nth 
we  arrived  at  the  Tonicas,50  about  fixty  leagues  be- 
low the  Akanfeas.  The  firft  village  is  four  leagues 
from  the  Miciflipi  inland  on  the  bank  of  a  quite 
pretty  river;  they  are  difperfed  in  little  villages; 
they  cover  in  all  four  leagues  of  country ;  they 
are  about  260  cabins.  Their  houfes  are  made 
of  palifades  and  earth,  and  are  very  large;  they 
make  fire  in  them  only  twice  a  day,  and  do  their 
cooking  outfide  in  earthen  pots.  The  married 
women  are  covered  from  the  waift  to  the  knees, 
and  the  girls  are  naked  up  to  the  age  of  twelve 
years  and  fometimes  until  they  are  married,  and 

5°  Marquette,  the  firft  to  give  the  They  treacherously  cut  off  the  Hou- 

name,    writes   it   Tanikwa.      The  mas  foon    after.     In    the    Natchez 

Tonicas   were    then    oppofite  Red  war  they  flood  by  the  French  and 

River ;  they  were  always  firm  friends  were  nearly  deftroyed  by  the  Chicka- 

of  the  French,  but  the  miflionary  faws.     Their  chief  by  his  fervices 

Davion    had    little    fuccefs    among  won  a  French  commiflion.   Cbarle- 

them.     They  expelled  him   at  one  voix  Hift.   de  la  N.  F.,   in,    433. 

time   for  deftroying    their  temple,  In   1806    there  was  a  remnant  of 

though   they  had  not  fufficient  re-  them  at  Avoyelle,  on  the  Red  River, 

verence    for   it   to   build    another.  Archeeologia  Americana,  11,  115. 


Down  the  Mi/t/tppi.  81 

they  wear  clothes  which  fcarcely  cover  them, 
being  made  after  the  fafhion  of  fringes,  which  they 
fimply  place  in  front.  As  for  the  men  they  are 
drefled  in  their  {kins  and  are  very  peaceable  people, 
well  difpofed,  much  attached  to  the  French,  living 
entirely  on  Indian  corn,  they  are  employed  folely 
on  their  fields ;  they  do  not  hunt  like  the  other 
Indians.  The  Indian  corn  of  this  country  grows 
1 5  to  20  feet  high ;  they  gather  it  only  as  they 
need  it.  The  village  of  the  great  chief  is  in  a 
beautiful  prairie.  Sicknefs  was  among  them  when 
we  arrived  there.  One  of  their  chiefs  being  about 
to  die,  M.  de  Montigny  afked  him  through  an 
interpreter  whether  he  wimed  to  be  baptized,  to 
which  he  replied  that  he  defired  to  be.  Having 
given  alfo  fome  tokens  of  his  defire,  he  was  baptized 
and  died  the  next  day.  They  were  dying  in  great 
numbers.  They  inter  their  dead  and  the  relations 
come  to  weep  with  thofe  of  the  houfe,  and  in  the 
evening  they  weep  over  the  grave  of  the  departed 
and  make  a  fire  there  and  pafs  their  hands  over  it, 
crying  out  and  weeping.  Mr.  Davion  has  eftablifhed 
his  miffion  in  this  place ;  they  have  a  temple  on  a 
little  hill ;  we  went  there  to  fee  it :  there  are  earthen 
figures  which  are  their  manitous.  We  fpent  eight 
days  in  this  village  and  fet  out  to  go  to  the 
Taenfas,  who  are  twenty  leagues  lower  down.  We 
went  to  pafs  the  night  below  the  river  on  the  bank 
of  the  Miciffipi,  where  we  caught  their  ficknefs  by 
the  great  abundance  of  rain  which  lafted  a  long 
time,  and  it  rained  fo  violently  for  two  days  that 


82  St.  Cofmes   Voyage 

we  were  obliged  to  make  a  bed  for  Mr.  de  Mon- 
tigny  on  logs  of  wood.  He  was  fo  iick  that  when 
he  wifhed  to  get  up  he  fainted  every  moment. 
We  had  nothing  to  eat  but  Indian  corn  boiled  in 
water ;  a  part  of  our  people  were  hunting,  weary 
and  fick  as  they  were.  One  of  them  got  loft  in 
the  woods  and  flept  out ;  [while]  they  were  looking 
for  him,  I  went  hunting,  and  killed  fome  little  game, 
but  Mr.  de  Montigny  would  not  eat  it.  We  ftarted 
from  this  place  and  when  evening  came  we  were 
all  fick.  The  next  day  we  arrived  at  the  portage 
of  the  Taenfas,  which  is  a  league  long,  where  we 
flept.  I  had  the  fever  as  well  as  the  reft  of  them. 
On  the  aift  we  arrived  at  the  Taenfas.  It  is  a 
league  by  land  and  two  by  water.  They  are  on 
the  more  of  a  lake  three  leagues  from  the  Miciflipi. 
They  are  very  humane  and  docile  people.  Their 
chief  died  not  long  before  we  arrived.  It  is  their 
cuftom  to  put  to  death  [many]  on  this  account. 
They  told  us  that  they  had  put  to  death  thirteen 
on  the  death  of  the  one  who  died  laft.  For  this 
purpofe  they  put  a  root  in  the  fire  to  burn,  and 
when  it  is  confumed  they  kill  him  with  tomahawks. 
The  Natchez,  who  are  twelve  leagues  lower  down, 
put  men  to  death  on  the  death  of  their  chief.  It 
muft  be  avowed  that  they  are  very  foolifh  to  al- 
low themfelves  to  be  killed  in  this  way ;  yet  it  is 
a  thing  they  efteem  as  great  honour  and  noble- 
heartednefs.  They  have  a  pretty  large  temple,  with 
three  columns  well  made,  ferpents  and  other  like 
fuperftitions.  The  temple  is  encircled  by  an  enclo- 


Down  the  Mifliffippi.  83 

fure  made  like  a  wall,  it  is  almoft  covered  with  fkulls. 
They  would  not  let  us  enter,  faying,  that  thofe 
who  entered  died.  We  entered  half  by  force,  half 
by  confent.  The  girls  and  women  are  dreffed  like 
thofe  I  have  mentioned  before,  and  even  worfe,  for 
we  faw  fome  25  and  30  years  old  quite  naked. 

We  left  there  on  the  ayth  to  return  to  the  To- 
nicas;  Mr.  de  Montigny  and  Mr.  de  St.  Cofme 
refolved  to  go  up  together  to  bring  down  the  things 
left  at  Chicagou  where  Brother  Alexander  had  re- 
mained to  guard  them,  becaufe  there  was  no  water 
in  the  river  of  the  Illinois.  We  brought  only  a 
canoe  load  of  abfolute  neceflaries,  which  we  had  to 
carry  for  the  diflance  of  fifteen  leagues.  We  had 
good  cheer  this  fall  returning  up  the  Miciffipi. 
One  of  our  men  was  bitten  by  a  rattle  fnake  on  our 
way  back  from  the  Taenfas.  It  gave  him  no 
trouble,  for  Mr.  de  Montigny,  who  was  at  hand, 
gave  him  a  remedy  to  counteract  the  effecl:  of  the 
poifon.  In  the  rivers  of  the  Acanfeas  and  Tonicas 
and  in  lake  Taenfas,  the  alligator  is  in  fo  great 
numbers,  that  you  will  fee  thirty  together ;  he  is 
the  moft  frightful  matter  fifh  that  can  be  feen.  He 
is  made  like  a  toad.  I  faw  one  that  was  as  large 
as  a  half  hogmead.  There  are  fome,  they  fay,  as 
large  a  hogmead  and  twelve  to  fifteen  feet  long.  I 
have  no  doubt  they  would  fwallow  a  man  up  if 
they  caught  him. 

There  were  fome  Illinois  villages  that  wifhed  to 
oppofe  our  voyage,  but  they  gained  nothing ;  we 
patted  on  in  fpite  of  them  and  their  envy.  Mr.  de 


84  St.  Cofmfs  Voyage 

Tonty  kindly  accompanied  our  gentlemen  as  far  as 
the  Acanfeas.  We  were  a  ftrong  party,  and  going 
up  the  Illinois  river  we  came  near  being  plundered 
by  the  Miamis.  They  boafted  that  they  would 
rob  us  as  we  came  up  the  Illinois  river.  We  are 
not  in  the  humour  of  letting  ourfelves  be  plundered. 
We  are  thirty  men  to  defcend  the  river  of  the  Illi- 
nois. There  are  as  many  people  at  the  Tamarois 
as  at  Kcbeq.  Mr.  de  St.  Cofme  is  at  the  Tamarois, 
which  is  eight  leagues  from  the  Illinois.  It  is  the 
larger!  village  that  we  have  feen.  There  are  about 
300  cabins  there. 

We  arrived  on  Maundy  Thurfday  at  Chicagou 
after  making  thirty  leagues  by  land.  It  rained 
during  the  laft  two  days  of  our  march.  Mr.  de 
Montigny  was  much  fatigued  and  I  was  no  lefs  fo. 
Much  good  can  be  done  in  the  miffi6ns  lower 
down,  namely,  at  the  Akanfeas,  Tonicas  and  Ta- 
enfas,  and  feveral  other  nations  that  are  in  their 
vicinity.  I  believe  fo,  and  they  fay  that  we  are 
fpirits.  Mr.  de  Montigny  intended  to  fee  all  the 
nations  and  to  go  to  the  fea.  Having  learnt  that 
three  Frenchmen  had  been  lately  killed  and  we  all 
being  fick,  he  probably  did  not  deem  it  proper. 
He  is  going  to  refide  at  the  Taenfas,  about  one 
hundred  leagues  diflant  from  the  fea,  and  I  even 
believe  that  he  will  go  there.  All  his  party  are  fo 
pleafed  with  him,  that  he  finds  more  people  than 
he  needs,  wherever  he  wimes  to  go.  On  flatting 
from  the  Illinois  in  the  month  of  April,  four  voy- 
ageurs  came  exprefs  to  accompany  him,  and  as  he 


Down  the  Mi/t/tppi.  85 

was  fatigued  they  wifhed  to  carry  him,  which  he 
would  not  fuffer,  and  went  on  afoot.  I  will  tell 
you  that  Mr.  de  Montigny  took  a  boy  twelve  or 
fifteen  years  old  with  him,  who  got  loft  while 
making  the  firft  portage  in  the  prairies.  Mr.  de  St. 
Cofme  remained  with  five  men  and  fpent  two  days 
looking  for  him  ^without  being  able  to  find  him, 
and  during  this  time  I  and  two  others  with  Mr. 
de  Montigny  made  a  portage  of  two  leagues.  This 
boy  made  his  way  to  Chicagou,  where  Brother 
Alexander  was,  thirteen  days  after.  He  was  utterly 
exhaufted  and  was  out  of  his  head. 

Thefe  people  had  their  women  and  girls  drefled 
like  the  Tonicas.  Mr.  de  Montigny  inclines  to 
put  me  at  the  Tamarois  with  Mr.  de  St.  Cofme. 
I  mould  not  be  difpleafed.  It  was  fuppofed  at  the 
Outraois  that  Mr.  Diberville  had  come  by  fea  to 
the  mouth  of  the  Miciffipi,  but  we  have  heard  no 
tidings  of  him,  except  what  I  have  related  above. 
The  Miamis  are  trying  to  pick  a  quarrel  with  us, 
but  we  do  not  know  what  will  come  of  it.  We 
are  to  ftart  from  Chicagou  on  Eafter  Monday.  The 
fined  country  that  we  have  feen  is  all  from  Chicagou 
to  the  Tamarois.  It  is  nothing  but  prairies  and 
clumps  of  wood  as  far  as  you  can  fee.  I  will 
mention  alfo,  that  many  Canadians  marry  among 
the  Illinois. 

I  mall  not  come  down  within  two  years  to  know 
whether  they  will  fettle  this  country.  It  is  per- 
fectly charming.  We  did  not  perceive  that  it  was 
M 


86 


St.   Cofmes  Voyage. 


winter.  The  peach  trees  were  in  bloflbm  at  the 
Tonicas  in  the  month  of  January.  They  are  fo 
plentiful  in  the  village  of  the  Taenfas  that  they  cut 
them  down.  There  are  alfo  pearls  which  are  very 
nne.  I  believe  that  they  are  precious,  yet  they 
pierce  them  to  firing  them.  I  clofe,  fearing  to 
tire  you,  and  fubfcribe  myfelf, 

Your  very  humble  and  very  obd1  ferv', 

LA  SOURCE. s* 

5*  The  Rev.  Dominic  Thaumur     was   ordained   there.      Charlevoix 
de  la  Source  had  been  a  pupil  of    found  him  at  Cahokia  in  1721. 
Father  Charlevoix  at  Quebec,  and 


III. 

LE    SUEUR'S    VOYAGE 
UP  THE  MISSISSIPPI, 

IN     1699-1700. 


VOYAGE  UP  THE  MISSISSIPPI 

IN     1699-1700, 


BY 


MR.    LE   SUEUR,' 

AS  GIVEN  BY  BENARD  DE  LA  HARPE,  FROM  LE  SUEUR's  JOURNAL. 


•R.  Le  Sueur  arrived  with  thirty  workmen 
in  the  Renommee  and  Girondey  Decr  7, 
1699.  He  had  acquired  renown  by  his 
voyages  in  Canada ;  he  was  fent  on  behalf  of 
Mr.  L'huillier,  Farmer-general,  to  form  an 
eftablimment  at  the  fource  of  the  MifTnTipi.  The 
objedt  of  this  enterprize  was  to  work  a  mine  of 


i  Le  Sueur  was  a  Canadian  (Bi- 
baud),  and  a  kinfman  of  Iberville 
( Charlevoix,  n,  413);  not  his 
father  as  Neill,  of  little  French  and 
lefs  courtefy,  ^norantly  fays  (Hift. 
of  Minnefota,  154,  n).  The  firft 
allufion  that  I  find  to  him  is  in 
1693,  when  he  was  a  voyageur  fta- 
tioned  at  Chegoimegon,  and  from 
his  knowledge  of  the  Dakotah  em- 
ployed to  maintain  peace  between 
the  Chippeways  and  Dakotas  (N. 


T.  Col.  Doc.,  ix,  570).  His  fub 
fequent  adventures  are  fketched  in 
the  text.  He  returned  to  France 
with  Iberville  in  1702,  and  died 
fome  years  after  while  again  on  his 
way  to  Louifiana  (La  Harpe,  z  \ ). 
Neill,  by  a  blunder  though  citing 
La  Harpe,  makes  him  die  in  Louifi- 
ana. The  Le  Sueur  who  figured 
in  the  Natchez  war  is  therefore,  in 
all  probability,  a  different  perfon. 


90  Le  Sueur's  Voyage 

green  earth2  that  Mr.  Le  Sueur  had  difcovered. 
What  gave  rife  to  this  enterprife  as  far  back  as  the 
year  1695,  was  this.  Mr.  Le  Sueur  by  order  of 
the  Count  de  Frontenac,  Governor  General  of 
Canada,  built  a  fort  on  an  ifland  in  the  Mifliffipi, 
more  than  200  leagues  above  the  Illinois,  in  order 
to  effect  a  peace  between  the  Sauteurs*  nations  who 
dwell  on  the  mores  of  a  lake  of  five  hundred  leagues 
circumference,4  one  hundred  leagues  eaft  of  the  river 
and  the  Scioux,  ported  on  the  Upper  Miffiflipi.  The 
fame  year,  according  to  his  orders,  he  went  down 
to  Montreal  in  Canada  with  a  Sauteur  chief  named 
Chingouabe  and  a  Sciou  named  Ciofcate,  who  was 
the  firft  of  his  nation  who  had  feen  Canada ;  and  as 
they  hoped  to  derive  from  his  country  many  articles 
of  value  in  commerce,  the  Count  de  Frontenac,  the 
Chevalier  de  la  Calliere  and  M.  de  Champigny, 
received  him  quite  well.  Two  days  after  their 
arrival  they  prefented  to  the  Count  de  Frontenac 
in  a  public  affembly  as  many  arrows  as  there  were 
Scioux  villages,  and  they  told  him  that  all  thefe 
villages  begged  him  to  receive  them  among  his 
children,  as  he  had  done  the  other  nations  whom 
they  named  in  fucceflion,  which  was  granted. 

i  A  mine  of  green  earth  feems  a  3  Ojibwas  or  Chippewas.     The 

queer  and  not  over-valuable  difco-  French   called  them  Sauteux,  and 

very,  but  thefe  colored  marls,  blue,  later  Sauteurs,  not  meaning  Leapers, 

green  and  yellow,  owing  their  color  as  fome  have  faid  who  prefer  guelT- 

to  (ilicate  of  iron,  were,  when  free  ing  to  refearch,  but  from  their  refi- 

from  fand,  highly  efteemed  and  ufed  dence  at  Saut  Ste  Marie, 
as  paint  by  the  Indians,  and  were 

confequendy  a  good  article  of  trade.  4  Lake  Superior. 


Up  the  Mtffiffippi.  91 

M.  Le  Sueur  was  to  go  up  to  the  Miffifllpi  in 
1696,  with  this  Sciou  chief,  who  had  come  down 
folely  on  a  promife  that  he  mould  be  taken  home 
again,  but  he  fell  fick  during  the  winter  and  died 
at  Montreal  after  thirty-three  days'  fuffering.  As 
Mr.  Le  Sueur  was  difpenfed  by  this  man's  death 
from  returning  to  that  country,  where  he  had 
difcovered  mines  of  lead,  copper,  blue  and  green 
earth,  he  refolved  to  go  to  France,  and  to  folicit  at 
court  permiffion  to  work  them.  This  he  obtained 
in  1697.  He  embarked  at  Rochelle  in  the  latter 
part  of  June  in  that  year  to  go  to  Canada.  Off  the 
banks  of  Newfoundland  he  was  taken  by  an  Eng- 
lim  fleet  of  fixteen  veffels  and  carried  prifoner  to 
Portfmouth ;  but  peace  being  declared,  he  returned 
to  Paris  to  get  a  new  commiffion,  for  he  had  thrown 
his  old  one  overboard,  for  fear  of  giving  the  Eng- 
lifh  any  information  as  to  his  plan.  The  Court 
ordered  a  new  commiffion  to  iflue  in  1698.  He 
then  went  to  Canada,  where  he  met  obstacles  which 
compelled  him  to  return  to  France.*  During  all 
thefe  contradictions  a  part  of  the  people  whom  he 
had  left  in  charge  of  the  fort  which  he  had  built 
in  1695,  hearing  nothing  of  him,  defcended  to 
Montreal. 

We  have  feen  above  that  he  arrived  in  the  colony 
[of  Louifiana]  in  the  month  of  December,  1699, 
with  a  party  of  thirty  miners.  On  the  loth  of 
February,  1702,  he  arrived  [?  at  Fort  Biloxi6  ]  with 

5  Frontenac  prevented  his  going  6  Orders  came  on  the  1 8th  De- 
weft  and  the  Court  approved  the  cember,  1701,  to  evacuate  Biloxi 
Governor's  action  in  the  matter,  and  fettle  on  the  Mobile,  and  Bien- 


92  Le  Sueur's 

two  thoufand  quintals  of  blue  and  green  earth, 
having  come  from  the  Scioux.  The  following  is 
an  extract  from  the  relation  of  his  voyage : 

He  could  not  reach  the  Tamarois  till  the  month 
of  June  1700,  having  made  a  confiderable  diftance 
from  the  mouth  of  the  river  to  that  point.  He  left 
there  July  12th,  1700,  with  a  felucca  and  two  ca- 
noes manned  by  nineteen  perfons. 

On  the  1 3th,  having  advanced  fix  leagues  and  a 
quarter,  he  halted  at  the  mouth  of  the  Miflburi 
river,  and  fix  leagues  above  he  left  on  the  eaft  of 
the  river  the  river  of  the  Illinois ;  he  there  met 
three  Canadian  voyageurs  who  were  coming  to  join 
his  party :  he  received  by  them  a  letter  from  the 
Jefuit  Father  Mareft,  dated  July  10,  1700,  at  the 
Miflion  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  of  the 
Blefled  Virgin  at  the  Illinois,  to  this  effecT:. 

"  I  have  the  honour  to  write  you  to  inform  you 
that  the  Sangieftas7  have  been  defeated  by  the 
Scioux  and  Ayavois.8  Thefe  people  have  combined 
with  the  Quincapoux,  and  a  part  of  the  Mecon- 
tins,9  Foxes  and  Metefigamias,10  and  are  going  to 
avenge  themfelves,  not  on  the  Scioux,  of  whom 
they  are  too  much  afraid,  but  on  the  Ayavois,  or 

ville  fet  out  with  the  garrifon  on  the         8  Written  in   fome  other  early 

6th   January,    1702,    leaving    only  accounts    Ainoves ;    they    are    the 

twenty  foldiers  under  de  Bois  Bril-  lowas,  who  have  had  the  good  for- 

lant  at  Biloxi.     It  is  probable  how-  tune  to  give  their  name  to  a  State, 
ever  that  La  Harpe   means  the  Le- 
fueur  arrived  at  Biloxi.  9  Kickapoos  and  Mafcoutins,. 

7  Probably  an  error  for  Sauteux.          i°  Metchigameas. 


Up  the  Mijfijfippi.  93 

"  elfe  on  the  Paoutees,11  or  rather  on  the  Ofages, 
"  for  thefe  laft  fufpedt  nothing  and  the  others  are  on 
"  their  guard  ;  as  you  may  meet  the  allied  nations, 
"  you  muft  guard  againft  their  enterprifes,  and 
"  prevent  their  getting  in  your  boats,  being  traitors, 
"  and  unfaithful  to  their  word ;  I  beg  God  to  attend 
"  you  in  all  your  defigns." 

Twenty-two  leagues  above  the  river  of  the  Illi- 
nois he  pafled  a  fmall  river  which  he  named  Riviere 
aux  Boeufs.12  Nine  leagues  further  he  pafled  on 
the  left  a  fmall  river  and  met  four  Canadians  going 
down  the  Mifliflipi  to  reach  the  Illinois. 

On  the  3Oth  of  July,  nine  leagues  above  the  laft 
river,  he  met  feventeen  Scioux  in  feven  canoes,  who 
were  going  to  avenge  the  death  of  three  Scioux, 
one  of  whom  had  been  burnt  and  the  others  killed 
at  the  Tamarois,  a  fhort  time  before  his  arrival  at 
that  village ;  as  he  had  promifed  the  chief  of  the 
Illinois  to  appeafe  the  Scioux,  who  might  be  coming 
in  war  againft  his  nation,  he  made  the  chief  of  this 
party  a  prefent  of  fome  goods  to  induce  him  to  re- 
turn. He  told  him  that  the  King  of  France  did 
not  wim  this  river  to  be  any  more  fullied  with 
blood,  and  that  he  had  lent  him  to  tell  them  that 
if  they  obeyed  his  word,  whatever  was  neceflary  to 
them  mould  hereafter  be  given  to  them.  The 
chief  replied  that  he  accepted  the  prefent,  that  is  to 
fay,  that  he  would  do  what  they  told  him. 

'  i  Firft  mentioned  by  Marquette     bably  the  Padoucas  or  Comanches. 
as  the  Pahoutct.     They  were  pro-         12  ?  Salt  River. 

N 


94  Le  Sueur's  Voyage 

From  the  3oth  of  July  to  the  25th  of  Auguft,  Mr 
Le  Sueur  made  52!  leagues  to  a  little  river  which 
he  called  Riviere  a  la  Mine;13  it  comes  from  the 
north  to  its  mouth  and  turns  from  it  to  the  N.  E. 
Seven  leagues  on,  to  the  right,  there  is  a  lead  mine  in 
a  prairie,  a  league  and  a  half  inland ;  this  river,  ex- 
cept the  firft  three  leagues,  is  navigable  only  when 
the  water  is  high,  that  is  to  fay,  from  early  fpring 
to  the  month  of  June. 

From  the  2516  to  the  2j\h  he  made  ten  leagues, 
patted  two  fmall  rivers,  and  made  examination  of  a 
lead  mine,  of  which  he  took  a  fupply. 

From  the  2yth  to  the  3Oth  he  made  eleven 
leagues  and  a  half  and  met  five  Canadians,  one  of 
whom  was  dangeroufly  wounded  in  the  head;  they 
were  naked  and  had  no  arms  except  a  wretched 
gun,  with  five  or  fix  charges  of  powder  and  ball. 
They  faid  that  they  were  defcending  from  the 
Scioux  to  go  to  the  Tamarois,  and  that  forty 
leagues  above  they  had  perceived  on  the  Mifiiffippi 
nine  canoes,  carrying  ninety  Indians,  who  had 
plundered  and  cruelly  beaten  them  ;  this  party  were 
going  to  war  againft  the  Scioux.  It  was  made  up 
of  four  different  nations,  Outagamis,  Saquis,  Pou- 
tuatamis  and  Puans,14  who  inhabit  a  country  eighty 
leagues  eaft  of  the  river  and  of  the  point  where 
Mr.  Le  Sueur  then  was.  Thefe  Canadians  refolved 
to  follow  the  detachment,  which  was  thus  corn- 
's ?  Fever  River.  J4  Foxes,  Sacs,  Pottawattomies 

and  Winnebagoes. 


Up  the  Mi/fi/nppi.  oc 

/  JLJ  Jk/    2  *  S  "J 

pofed  of  28  men.     That  day  he  made  four  leagues 
and  a  half. 

On  the  i  ft  of  September  he  pafled  the  River  of 
the  Ouefconfins;15  it  comes  from  the  N.  E.  to  its 
mouth  and  turns  to  the  Eaft.  It  is  almoft  every- 
where a  league  and  a  half  wide.  About  forty-five 
leagues  up  this  river  on  the  right  is  a  portage  of 
more  than  a  league  in  length.  The  half  of  this 
portage  is  a  bog ;  at  the  end  of  this  portage  there 
is  a  little  river  that  falls  into  a  bay  called  the  Bay  of 
the  Puans,16  inhabited  by  a  great  number  of  nations 
that  carry  their  furs  to  Canada.  It  was  by  the 
river  of  the  Ouefconfins  that  Mr.  Le  Sueur  came 
into  the  Mifliflippi  for  the  firft  time  in  1683,  to  go 
to  the  country  of  the  Scioux,  where  he  has  at  vari- 
ous times  fpent  feven  years.  The  [Mifliflippi]  river 
oppofite  the  mouth  of  this  river  is  only  about  an 
eighth  of  a  league  wide. 

From  the  ift  to  the  5th  of  September  our  trav- 
eller advanced  fourteen  leagues:  he  pafled  the 
Riviere  aux  Canots,17  which  comes  from  the  north 
eaft,  then  that  of  the  Quincapous,18  fo  called  from 
the  name  of  a  nation,  which  formerly  dwelt  on  its 
bank. 

From  the  5th  to  the  9th,  he  made  ten  leagues 
and  a  half  and  pafled  the  Riviere  Cachee1^  and  that 

»5  Wifconfin.  17  ?  The  Bad  Axe. 

1 6  That  is  Bay  of  the  Winnebagoes         1 8  ?  The  Raccoon, 
or  Green  Bay. 

19  ?TheLaCrofl"e: 


96  Le  Sueur's  Voyage 

aux  Ailes  :20  the  fame  day  he  perceived  canoes  full 
of  Indians  defcending  the  river.  The  five  Cana- 
dians recognized  thofe  who  had  plundered  them ; 
fentinels  were  placed  in  the  woods,  for  fear  of  a 
furprife  from  the  land,  and  when  they  were  within 
hailing  diftance,  the  party  called  out  to  them,  that 
if  they  came  any  nearer  they  would  fire  on  them. 
They  ranged  themfelves  along  the  ifland,  within 
half  gunfhot.  Soon  after  four  of  the  moft  diftin- 
guimed  in  the  band  advanced  in  a  canoe  and  afked 
whether  we  had  forgotten  that  they  were  our 
brethren,  and  why  we  had  taken  up  arms  when  we 
perceived  them.  Mr.  Le  Sueur  told  them  in  reply 
that  after  what  they  had  done  to  the  five  Frenchmen, 
who  were  prefent,  he  had  reafon  to  diftruft  them. 
Yet  for  the  fecurity  of  his  trade,  being  under  the 
abfolute  neceffity  of  being  in  peace  with  all  the 
nations,  he  would  not  make  reprifals  for  the  rob- 
bery which  they  had  committed ;  he  only  added 
that  the  King  their  mafter  and  his,  wimed  all  his 
fubjecls  to  travel  on  that  river  without  receiving 
any  infult;  that  therefore  they  mould  take  care  of 
what  they  were  doing.  The  Indian  who  had  been 
fpokefman  feemed  confounded  and  made  no  reply ; 
another  merely  faid  that  they  had  been  attacked  by 
the  Scioux,  who  had  forced  them  to  abandon  all 
their  baggage,  and  that  if  he  did  not  take  pity  on 
them  by  giving  them  a  little  powder,  they  could 
not  reach  their  village.  Confideration  for  [the 

20  Perhaps  River  aux  Ailx,  as  a     called  from  the  wild  onions  growing 
cape  of  that  name  is  mentioned,  fo     there. 


Up  the  Mi/i/tppi.  97 

fafety  of]  a  mimonary  who  was  to  go  up  to  the 
Scioux,  and  whom  thefe  Indians  might  meet,  made 
him  give  them  two  pounds  of  powder.  Mr.  Le 
Sueur  made  the  fame  day  three  leagues,  pafled  a 
little  river  weft  of  the  great  river,  then  a  large  one  on 
the  eaft  of  the  Mimffipi,  which  is  navigable  at  all 
times.  The  Indian  nations  that  know  it  called  it 
Red  River.*1 

On  the  loth  at  day  break  they  heard  a  ftag 
whiftle  on  the  other  fide  of  the  river ;  a  Canadian 
crofled  in  a  little  Sciou  canoe  that  he  had  found; 
he  foon  after  returned  with  the  body  of  the  animal, 
which  it  is  eafy  to  kill  in  the  rutting  feafon,  that  is 
from  the  beginning  of  September  to  the  end  of 
Auguft.  During  that  time  the  hunters  make  a 
little  whiftle  of  the  firft  bit  of  wood  or  cane,  and 
when  they  hear  a  ftag  whiftle,  they  anfwer ;  the 
animal  fuppofing  it  to  be  another  ftag  that  whiftles, 
comes  to  them  and  they  kill  it  without  any  diffi- 
culty. 

From  the  loth  to  the  i4th  Mr.  Le  Sueur  made 
feventeen  leagues  and  a  half,  paffed  Riviere  des 
Raifins22  and  that  of  the  Paquilenettes  :23  the  fame 
day  he  left  on  the  eaft  of  the  river,  a  large  and 
beautiful  river,  which  comes  a  great  diftance  from 
the  north,  and  called  Bon  Secours,24  from  the  great 

ai  Black  River.  *4  Neill  fuppofes  this  to  be  the 

.-XT  -11  u-  .     u-    u   IT/-    •  r\          Chippeway,  but  Shumard  thinks  the 
«  Neill  thinks  this  the  W*  ^  Ozu.     ,-,,.' 

Chippeway  river  to  be  the  next  one 

*3  The  Buffalo  River,  according     mentioned. 
to  Neill. 


98  L,e  Sueur's  Voyage 

numbers  of  Buffalo,  flags,  bears  and  deer  found 
there ;  three  leagues  up  this  river  there  is  a  lead 
mine,  and  feven  leagues  higher  on  the  fame  fide, 
you  meet  another  river  of  great  length,  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  which  there  is  a  copper  mine 
from  which  he  took  a  mafs  of  fixty  pounds  in  his 
previous  voyages.  To  render  it  profitable  a  peace 
would  have  to  be  made  between  the  Scioux  and 
the  Oucagamis,  becaufe  the  latter,  who  live  on  the 
lands  eafl  of  the  MifTiflippi,  pafs  by  this  road  con- 
ftantly  when  going  out  to  war  againft  the  Scioux. 
In  thefe  quarters,  a  league  and  a  half  from  the 
northweft  fide,  begins  a  lake  fix  leagues  long,  and 
more  than  one  broad.  It  is  called  Lake  Pepin. 
It  is  fkirted  on  the  weft  by  a  chain  of  mountains; 
on  the  other  fide  on  the  eaft  you  fee  a  prairie,  and 
on  the  northweft  of  the  lake  a  fecond  prairie  two 
leagues  long  and  wide  ;  near  it  is  a  chain  of  moun- 
tains, which  is  at  leaft  two  hundred  feet  high, 
and  is  more  than  half  a  league  long.  Here  are 
found  many  caverns2?  to  which  the  bears  retreat 
in  winter :  moft  of  thefe  caves  are  over  forty  feet 
deep,  and  about  three  or  four  feet  high.  .,.  Some 
have  a  very  narrow  entrance,  and  all  contain  falt- 
petre.  It  would  be  dangerous  to  enter  them  in 
fummer,  becaufe  they  are  full  of  rattlefnakes,  the 
bite  of  which  is  very  dangerous.  Le  Sueur  faw 
fome  of  thefe  fnakes  which  were  fix  feet  long ;  but 
they  do  not  generally  exceed  four  :  they  have  teeth 

*5  Nicolet   has    defcnbed    thefe     caves,  which  Carver  alfo  mentioned. 


Up   the   Mi/i/tppi.  99 

like  thofe  of  a  pike,  and  the  gums  full  of  little 
bladders  which  contain  their  venom.  The  Scioux 
fay  that  they  take  it  every  morning  and  reject  it  at 
night ;  they  have  on  the  tail  a  kind  of  fcale  which 
makes  a  noife ;  this  is  what  is  called  their  rattle. 
Le  Sueur  made  that  day  feven  leagues  and  a  half, 
and  pafled  another  river  named  Hiambouxeate  — 
Onataba,  which  means  River  of  the  flat  rocks-26 

On  the  1 5th  he  crofTed  a  fmall  river  and  per- 
ceived in  the  neighborhood  feveral  canoes  full  of 
Indians  coming  down  the  river.  He  at  firft  took 
them  for  Scioux,  becaufe  he  could  not  diftinguifh 
whether  the  canoes  were  large  or  fmall.  He  made 
his  men  get  their  arms  ready ;  he  foon  after  heard 
the  Indians  giving  the  yells  they  ufually  give  when 
they  rum  on  their  enemies.  He  replied  in  the  fame 
manner ;  and  after  porting  all  his  men  behind  trees, 
he  forbid  them  to  fire  till  he  gave  the  word.  He 
remained  on  the  water's  edge  to  fee  what  ftep  they 
would  take,  and  perceiving  that  they  put  two  men 
afhore  to  obferve  from  an  eminence  on  the  other 
fide  of  the  river  the  number  of  his  people  and  his 
forces,  he  made  his  party  march  in  and  out  of  the 
wood  continually,  fo  that  they  mould  take  them  to 
be  more  numerous.  This  fucceeded,  for  as  foon  as 
the  two  Indians  came  down  the  hill,  the  chiefs  of 
the  party  came  forward  bearing  the  calumet,  which 
is  a  fignal  of  peace  among  the  Indians.  They 
faid  that  having  never  feen  the  French  failing  on 

*6  Thelnyan  bofndata  or  Cannon  river,  in  the  judgment  of  Mr.  NeilJ. 


ioo  Le  Sueur"  s   Voyage 

the  Miffiflippi  in  boats  like  a  felucca,  they  had 
miftaken  them  for  Englifh  and  had  accordingly 
given  the  war  cry  and  ranged  themfelves  on  the 
other  fide  of  the  river ;  but  feeing  their  miftake  by 
our  flag,  they  had  come  without  fear  to  inform  them 
that  one  of  their  people  who  was  crazy  had  accident- 
ally killed  a  Frenchman  with  a  ball  from  a  gun  ;  that 
they  were  going  to  bring  his  comrade,  who  would 
tell  in  what  way  the  accident  happened.  They 
made  this  Frenchman,  who  was  a  Canadian  named 
Denis,  come  :  he  dated  that  his  comrade  had  been 
accidentally  killed  ;  his  name  was  Laplace ;  he  was 
a  foldier  who  deferted  from  Canada  and  had  fled  to 
this  country.  Mr.  Le  Sueur  replied  to  thefe  In- 
dians, that  Onontio  (a  name  they  give  to  all  the 
governors  of  Canada)  being  their  father  and  his, 
they  mould  not  feek  their  juftification  anywhere 
but  before  him  ;  that  he  advifed  them  to  go  and  fee 
him  as  foon  as  poflible  to  beg  him  to  warn  the  blood 
of  that  Frenchman  from  their  face.  This  party 
was  compofed  of  47  men  of  different  nations,  who 
live  far  to  the  eaft  of  the  Mimffippi,  about  the  44th 
degree  of  latitude.  Mr.  Le  Sueur  knew  the  chiefs 
particularly ;  he  told  them  that  the  king  of  whom 
they  had  fo  often  heard  in  Canada,  had  fent  to  fettle 
the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  that  he  wifhed  the 
nations  dwelling  on  it,  as  well  as  thofe  which  are 
under  his  protection,  to  live  generally  in  peace.  He 
made  that  day  three  leagues  and  three  quarters. 

On  the   1 6th  he  left  on  the  eaft  of  the  Miffiflipi 
a  great  river  called  St.  Croix,  becaufe  a  Frenchman 


Up  the  Mi/t/tppi.  10 1 

of  that  name  was  wrecked  at  its  mouth.  It  comes 
from  the  N.  N.  W. ;  four  leagues  higher  up,  af- 
cending,  you  come  to  a  fmall  lake,  at  the  entrance 
of  which  there  is  a  very  large  mafs  of  copper ;  it  is 
on  the  water's  edge,  in  a  little  bluff  of  fandy  earth, 
weft  of  this  lake. 

From  the  1 6th  to  the  1 9th  he  advanced  thirteen 
leagues  and  three  quarters.  After  having  made 
from  the  Tamarois  two  hundred  and  feven  leagues 
and  a  half,  he  left  the  navigation  of  the  MirTiffippi 
at  this  point  to  enter  St.  Peter's  River,27  on  the 
weft  of  the  Miffiflippi,  on  which  he  made  till  the 
i  ft  of  October  forty  four  leagues  and  a  quarter. 
After  which  he  entered  Blue  River,28  fo  called  by 
reafon  of  the  mines  of  blue  earth  found  at  its  mouth. 
He  made  his  fettlement  at  44  deg.  1 3  m.  N. 

At  this  fpot  he  met  nine  Scioux,  who  told  him 
that  this  river  was  the  country  of  the  Scioux  of  the 
Weft,  of  the  Ayavois  and  the  Otoctatas29  a  little 
further ;  that  it  was  not  their  cuftom  to  hunt  on  the 
grounds  of  others  without  being  invited  by  thole  to 
whom  they  belonged ;  that  when  they  mould  wim 
to  come  to  the  fort  to  get  fupplies,  they  would  be 

27  Many  writers  have  of  late  at-  Earth   River.     See  an  account  of 
tempted  to  make  out  that  this  river  this    earth    in  Owen's  Geological 
was  called  after  Le  Gardeur  de  Re-  Survey    of    Wifconfm,  Iowa    and 
pentigny,    who   bore   the   name  of  Minnefota,  p.  486. 

Mr.  de  St.  Pierre.     Were  it  fo  it  ,    ~ 

,,  ,     „             ,       T   f  *9  lowas   and    Ottoes  probably, 

would  be  ftranee  that  Lefueur  does  r^,     ^                            -\/<             •> 

if  e  n          \.    c     -1  1  he  Utontantas  are  on  Marquette  s 

not  mention  the  fact,  as  the  family  . ,      ,           . *  . 

.     ^       .    '  map,  and  are  evidently  the  Anthou- 

was  an  important  one  m  Canada.  /•    n.-     r    r      A    u              \ 

tantas  (rectius  forfan  Authontantas) 

28  Now  called  Mankato  or  Blue     of  Membre. 

o 


IO2  Le  Sueur's  Voyage 

expofed  to  be  cut  off  by  their  enemies  coming  up 
or  going  thefe  rivers,  which  are  narrow ;  and  that 
if  he  wifhed  to  take  pity  on  them,  he  muft  fettle 
on  the  Mifliffippi  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  mouth 
of  St.  Peter's  river,  where  the  Ayavois,  the  Otoc- 
tatas,  and  the  Scioux  could  come  as  well  as  they. 
Having  made  their  fpeech,  they  began,  according 
to  their  cuftom,  to  weep  over  Mr.  Le  Sueur's  head, 
faying,  Oueachtffbu  ouaepanimanabo  ;  which  means, 
Take  pity  on  us. 

Mr.  Le  Sueur  had  forefeen  that  his  eftablimment 
on  the  Blue  river  would  not  be  relimed  by  the 
Scioux  of  the  Eaft,  who  are,  fo  to  fpeak,  the  mafters 
of  the  other  Scioux  and  of  the  nations  juft  named, 
becaufe  they  are  firft  with  whom  we  traded,  which 
has  given  them  a  good  fupply  of  guns.  As  he  had 
not  undertaken  the  enterprife  in  the  fole  view  of 
the  beaver  trade,  but  to  learn  thoroughly  the  quality 
of  the  different  mines  which  he  had  formerly  dif- 
covered,  he  told  them  that  he  was  forry  he  had  not 
known  their  ideas  fooner;  that  it  was  clearly  juft, 
as  he  had  come  expreflly  for  them,  for  him  to  fettle 
on  their  land ;  but  the  feafon  was  too  far  fpent  to 
retrace  his  fteps.  He  then  made  them  a  prefent  of 
powder,  balls,  knives,  and  a  fathom  of  tobacco,  to 
invite  to  come  as  foon  as  poffible  to  the  fort  that  he 
was  going  to  erect ;  that  there,  when  they  were  all 
aflembled,  he  would  tell  them  the  intentions  of  the 
king,  their  mafter  and  his. 

The  Scioux  of  the  Weft  have,  according  to  the 
reports  of  thofe  of  the  Eaft,  more  than  a  thoufand 


Up  the  Mi/i/ippi.  103 

cabins.  They  do  not  ufe  canoes,  cultivate  the 
earth,  or  gather  wild  oats ;  they  generally  keep  to 
the  prairies  between  the  Upper  MiffifTippi  and  the 
River  of  the  MilTouris,  and  live  folely  by  hunting. 

All  the  Scioux  in  general  fay  that  they  have  three 
fouls,  and  that  after  death,  that  which  has  done  good 
goes  to  the  warm  countries,  that  which  has  done 
evil  to  the  cold  countries,  and  the  other  keeps  the 
body.  Polygamy  is  in  ufe  among  them ;  they  are 
very  jealous,  and  fometimes  fight  duels  for  their 
women.  They  handle  the  bow  very  expertly, 
and  were  feveral  times  feen  to  moot  ducks  on  the 
wing.  They  make  their  cabins  of  feveral  buffalo 
fkins,  laced  and  fewed  together ;  they  carry  them 
every  where  with  them  :  in  each  cabin  there  are 
ordinarily  two  or  three  men  with  their  families. 
They  are  all  great  fmokers,  but  their  mode  of 
fmoking  differs  from  that  of  the  other  Indians ; 
there  are  fome  Scioux  who  fwallow  all  the  tobacco 
fmoke,  and  others  who  after  having  fwallowed  and 
kept  it  fome  time  in  the  flomach,  eject  it  through 
the  nofe. 

On  the  jd  of  the  fame  month  he  received  at 
the  fort  feveral  Scioux,  among  whom  was  Ouacanta- 
pai,3°  chief  of  the  village.  Soon  after  two  Canadians 
who  had  gone  hunting  arrived ;  they  had  been 
robbed  by  the  Scioux  of  the  Eaft,  who  had  taken 
away  their  guns  in  revenge  for  Mr.  Le  Sueur's 
fettling  on  Blue  river.  On  the  I4th  the  fort  was 

3o  The   root    is    here    evidently     facred. 
Wakonda,  God,  fpirit,  myfterious, 


Le  Sueur's  Voyage 

finished ;  the  name  of  Fort  L/huiller  was  con- 
ferred upon  it. 

On  the  22d  two  Canadians  were  fent  out  to  invite 
the  Ayavois  and  the  Otoctatas  to  come  and  make  a 
village  near  the  fort,  becaufe  thefe  Indians  are  la- 
borious and  accuftomed  to  cultivate  the  ground, 
and  he  hoped  to  obtain  provifions  from  them  and 
make  them  work  the  mines. 

On  the  24th  arrived  fix  Oujalefpoitous  Scioux ; 
they  wimed  to  enter  the  fort,  but  they  were  pre- 
vented and  told  that  men  who  had  killed  French- 
men could  not  be  received ;  this  is  the  term  em- 
ployed when  they  have  offered  any  infult.  The 
next  day  they  came  to  Mr.  Le  Sueur's  cabin  to  beg 
him  to  take  pity  on  them.  They  wimed  according 
to  their  cuftom  to  weep  over  his  head  and  make 
him  a  prefent  of  fome  packages  of  beaver,  which 
he  refufed ;  he  faid  that  he  was  aftonifhed  that  men 
who  had  robbed  him  mould  have  the  temerity  to 
come  to  him ;  to  which  they  replied  that  they  had 
indeed  heard  that  the  French  had  been  plundered, 
but  that  none  from  their  village  had  been  prefent 
at  this  wicked  act.  Mr.  Le  Sueur  told  them  that 
he  knew  that  it  was  the  Mendeouacantous  who  had 
killed  him  and  not  the  Oujalefpoitous ;  "  but  you 
"  are  Scioux"  he  continued,  "  they  were  Scioux  who 
"  robbed  me,  and  if  I  followed  your  manner  of  acting 
"  I  would  tomahawk  you ;  for  is  it  not  true  that  when 
"  any  ftrangers  (fo  they  call  the  Indians  who  are  not 
"  Scioux)  have  done  any  wrong  to  a  Mendeouacan- 
"  tou,  Oujalefpoitou  or  other  Sciou,  all  the  villages 


Up  the  Miffiffippi.  105 

"  avenge  it  on  the  firfr,  they  meet."  As  there  was 
nothing  to  be  faid  in  reply  to  what  he  told  them, 
they  had  recourfe  to  tears  and  repeated  according 
to  cuftom,  Ouaechiffou  ouaepanimanabo !  Mr.  Le 
Sueur  told  them  to  flop  their  crying  ;  he  added  that 
the  French  were  good-hearted,  and  that  he  had 
come  into  the  country  only  to  take  pity  on  them ; 
at  the  fame  time  he  made  them  a  prefent,  telling 
them :  "  Carry  back  your  beaver,  and  tell  all  the 
"  Scioux  that  they  (hall  have  no  more  powder  or 
"  ball  from  me,  and  that  they  (hall  no  more  fmoke 
"  my  calumet  (that  is  to  fay,  we  mall  be  good 
"  friends  no  longer)  till  they  make  reparation  for 
"  the  plunder  of  the  French." 

The  fame  day  the  two  Canadians  who  had  been 
fent  out  the  22d  arrived  without  having  fucceeded 
in  finding  the  road  leading  to  the  Ayavois  and 
Otoctata.  On  the  26th  Mr.  Le  Sueur  proceeded 
to  the  mine,  with  three  canoes  which  he  loaded 
with  blue  and  green  earth.  It  is  drawn  from 
mountains  near  which  are  the  very  abundant  copper 
mines,  of  which  Mr.  L'Huillier,  one  of  the  king's 
farmers  general,  made  an  aflay  at  Paris,  in  1696. 
Stones  alfo  are  found  there  which  it  would  be  curi- 
ous to  fee  employed. 

On  the  9th  of  November  eight  Mantantous  Sci- 
oux prefented  themfelves  at  the  tort,  having  been 
fent  by  the  chiefs  of  their  villages  to  fay  that  the 
Mendeouacantous  were  ftill  at  their  lake  on  the  lands 
eaft  of  the  Miffiflipi,  and  that  they  could  not  come 
for  a  long  time;  that  all  the  reft  ought  not  to  bear  the 


penalty  of  one  fingle  village  that  had  not  had  fenfe  ; 
that  if  he  would  tell  them  in  what  way  he  wimed 
to  have  fatiffaction,  they  would  come  and  make  it. 
Mr.  Le  Sueur  told  them  that  he  was  glad  that  they 
had  fenfe,  and  that  it  was  for  them  to  fee  what 
they  fho.uld  do. 

On.  the  1 5th  they  faw  two  Mantantous  Scioux 
arrive ;  thefe  Indians  had  been  fent  exprefs  to  an- 
nounce that  all  the  Scioux  of  the  Eaft  and  a  part  of 
thofe  of  the  Weft  had  joined  together  to  come  to 
the  French,  becaufe  they  had  learned  that  the 
Chriftinaux  and  the  AfTinipoils  were  making  war 
on  them.  Thefe  two  nations  live  above  the  fort  on 
the  eaft,  more  than  eighty  leagues  up  the  Mifliflipi. 

The  Aflinipoils  fpeak  Scioux,  and  are  really  of 
that  nation ;  and  it  is  only  within  a  few  years  that 
they  have  been  at  enmity  with  that  people.  The 
origin  of  that  war  was  this.  The  Chriftinaux  hav- 
ing obtained  the  ufe  of  firearms  before  the  Scioux 
by  means  of  the  Englim  of  Hudfon's  bay,  came 
conftantly  in  war  againft  the  Aflinipoils,  who  were 
their  neareft  neighbors ;  the  latter  rinding  them- 
felves  weak  afked  peace,  and  to  render  it  more  firm, 
allied  themfelves  to  the  Chriftinaux,  taking  their 
women  to  wife.  The  other  Scioux,  who  had  not 
entered  this  alliance,  and  who  of  all  time  had  been 
at  war  with  them,  continued  it,  fo  that  one  day, 
finding  fome  Chriftinaux  among  the  Aflinipoils, 
they  tomahawked  them.  It  was  the  Chriftinaux 
who  fupplied  the  Aflinipoils  with  arms  and  goods. 

On  the  1 6th  the  two  Scioux  returned  to  their 


Up  the  Mifftjjippi.  10  7 

village,  and  it  was  afcertained  that  the  Ayavois  and 
the  Otoctatas  had  gone  to  ftation  themfelves  on  the 
fide  of  the  river  of  Miflburi,  in  the  neighborhood 
of  the  Maha,  a  nation  dwelling  in  thofe  quarters. 

On  the  26th  the  Mantantous  and  Oujalefpoitous 
arrived  at  the  fort.  After  pitching  their  cabin  in 
the  wood,  Ouacantapai  came  to  beg  Mr.  Le  Sueur 
to  come  to  him.  He  there  found  fixteen  men  with 
feveral  women  and  children,  who  had  their  faces 
daubed  with  black.  In  the  middle  of  this  cabin 
were  feveral  buffalo  fkins  that  ferved  as  a  carpet. 
They  made  figns  to  him  to  fit  down,  and  at  the 
fame  time  all  thefe  perfons  began  to  weep  for  half 
a  quarter  of  an  hour ;  then  the  chief  offered  him 
wild  rice  to  eat,  and  according  to  their  cuftom  put 
the  firft  three  fpoonfuls  in  his  mouth,  after  which 
he  told  him  that  all  thofe  whom  he  faw  prefent  were 
like  himfelf the  relatives  ofTiofcate  (this  was  the  name 
of  the  Sciou  whom  Mr.  Le  Sueur  took  to  Canada  in 
1695,  and  who  died  there  in  1696).  At  this  name 
of  Tiofcate  they  began  to  weep  again,  and  to  wipe 
their  tears  on  Mr.  Le  Sueur's  head  and  moulders ; 
after  which  Ouacantapai,  refuming  his  difcourfe, 
told  him  that  Tiofcate  begged  him  to  forget  the 
infult  offered  to  the  French  by  the  Mendeouacan- 
tous,  and  to  have  pity  on  his  brethren,  by  giving 
them  powder  and  ball  to  defend  themfelves  againft 
their  enemies  and  to  give  life  to  his  wives  and 
children  who  were  wafting  with  hunger  in  the 
midft  of  a  country  full  of  all  kinds  of  beafts,  having 
nothing  to  kill  them  with.  "  Behold !"  added  this 


io8  Le  Sueur's  Voyage 

chief,  pointing  to  the  dead  chief's  wives  and  child- 
ren, "  Behold  thy  children,  thy  brethren,  thy  fitters ; 
"  it  is  for  thee  to  fee  whether  thou  wifheft  them 
"  to  live  or  die ;  they  will  live  if  thou  giveft  them 
"  powder  and  ball,  on  the  contrary  they  will  die  if 
"  thou  refule  it."  All  thefe  reafons  were  not  needed 
to  induce  Mr.  Le  Sueur  to  yield  to  their  requeft ; 
but  as  the  Scioux  never  anfwer  on  the  fpot,  efpe- 
cially  in  important  matters,  and  as  he  had  to  fpeak 
to  them  about  his  eftablimment,  he  left  the  cabin 
without  faying  anything,  the  chief  and  all  thofe 
who  were  within  followed  him  to  the  gate  of  the 
fort,  and  after  he  went  in  they  made  the  circuit  of 
the  fort  three  times,  weeping  and  crying  at  the  top 
of  their  voices,  Athe-ouanan,  which  means,  My 
father,  take  pity  on  us. 

The  next  day  he  affembled  in  the  fort  the  moft 
eminent  of  both  villages,  and  as  it  is  impoffible  to 
reduce  the  Scioux  to  prevent  their  going  to  war, 
except  by  inducing  them  to  cultivate  the  ground, 
he  told  them  that  if  they  wifhed  to  render  them- 
felves  worthy  of  the  king's  protection,  they  muft 
abandon  their  errant  life  and  come  and  form  a  village 
around  his  fettlement,  where  they  would  be  fhel- 
tered  from  the  attacks  of  their  enemies ;  that  to 
facilitate  the  means  of  leading  a  happy  life  there, 
and  fave  them  from  the  pangs  of  hunger,  he  would 
give  them  all  the  corn  neceflary  to  plant  a  good 
deal  of  ground ;  that  the  king,  their  chief  and  his, 
when  fending  him  had  forbidden  him  to  trade  in 
beaver  {kins,  knowing  that  this  hunt  obliged  them 


Up  the  MiJJi/tppi.  icx) 

to  fcatter,  and  expofed  them  to  be  killed  by  their 
enemies ;  that  in  confequence  he  had  come  to  fettle 
on  Blue  river,  the  neighborhood  of  which  as  they 
had  feveral  times  aflured  him  was  full  of  all  kinds  of 
beafts,  for  the  {kins  of  which  they  would  fupply  all 
their  wants  ;  that  they  mould  reflect  that  they  could 
not  do  without  the  goods  of  the  French,  and  that 
the  only  means  not  to  be  deprived  of  them  was  not 
to  make  war  on  nations  allied  to  us ;  and  as  it  is 
the  Indian  cuftom  to  accompany  their  words  with 
a  prefent  proportioned  to  the  affair  treated  of,  he 
gave  them  fifty  pounds  of  powder,  and  as  many  of 
balls,  fix  guns,  ten  hatchets,  twelve  fathoms  of  to- 
bacco, and  a  fteel  calumet. 

On  the  i  ft  of  December  the  Mantantons  invited 
Mr.  Le  Sueur  to  a  great  banquet;  four  of  their 
cabins  had  been  thrown  into  one,  in  which  there 
were  a  hundred  men  feated  around,  each  with  his 
platter  before  him.  After  the  repaft  Oucantapai 
their  chief  made  them  all  fmoke  fucceflively  the 
fteel  calumet  which  had  been  prefented  to  them ; 
then  he  made  a  prefent  to  Mr.  Le  Sueur  of  a  flave 
and  a  fack  of  wild  rice,  and  pointing  to  his  people 
faid  :  "  Behold  the  remnants  of  that  great  village 
"  which  thou  didft  formerly  behold  fo  numerous ; 
"  all  the  others  have  been  flain  in  war,  and  the  few 
"  men  that  thou  feeft  in  this  cabin  accept  the  pre- 
"  fent  that  thou  makeft  them,  and  are  refolved  to 
"  obey  that  great  chief  of  all  the  nations  of  whom 
"  thou  haft  fpoken  to  us ;  thou  muft  therefore  no 
'"  longer  regard  us  as  Scioux,  but  as  Frenchmen, 

P 


no  Le  Sueur's  Voyage 

"  and  inftead  of  faying  that  the  Scioux  are  wretches 
"  who  have  no  fenfe,  and  fit  only  to  plunder  and 
"  rob  the  French,  thou  wilt  fay  :  My  brothers  are 
"  unhappy  men  who  have  no  fenfe ;  we  muft  try 
"and  get  them  fome;  they  rob  us,  but  to  prevent 
"  them  I  will  take  care  that  they  do  not  lack  iron, 
"  that  is  to  fay  all  kinds  of  goods.  If  thou  doft  this 
"  I  allure  thee  that  in  a  mort  time  the  Mantantons 
"  will  become  French,  and  will  no  longer  have  the 
"  vices  with  which  thou  reproached  them."  Hav- 
ing finifhed  this  harangue  he  covered  his  head  with 
his  robe,  the  others  imitated  him ;  they  wept  for 
their  comrades  flain  in  war,  and  chanted  a  farewell 
to  their  country  in  fo  mournfull  a  tone  that  one 
could  fcarcely  help  fharing  their  grief.  Then  Oua- 
cantapai  made  them  fmoke  again,  and  diftributed 
among  them  the  prefents  that  had  been  given  to 
them,  and  faid  that  he  was  going  to  the  Mende- 
ouacantons  to  inform  them  of  the  refolution  and  to 
invite  them  to  do  the  fame. 

On  the  1 2th  three  Mendeouacanton  chiefs  and  a 
number  of  Indians  of  the  fame  village  arrived  at  the 
fort,  and  the  next  day  made  a  kind  of  fatiffaction 
for  the  plunder  they  had  committed  on  the  French. 
They  brought  400  pounds  of  beaver  fkins,  and  pro- 
mifed  that  next  fummer,  after  building  canoes,  and 
gathering  in  their  harveft  of  wild  rice,  they  would 
come  to  fettle  near  the  French.  The  fame  day 
they  returned  to  their  village  eafl  of  the  Mifliffipi. 


Up  the  MifftJJippi.  1 1 1 

Names  of  the  Scioux  Nations  of  the  Eajiern  Party 
and  their  Signification. 

The  MantantonSy  which  means  village  of  the  great 
lake  which  empties  into  a  little  one. 

The  MendeouacantonSy  village  of  the  fpirit  lake. 

The  QuiopetonSy  village  of  a  lake  in  the  river. 

The  PJioumanitonSy  village  of  the  feekers  of  wild  rice. 

The  Ouade  batons  >  village  of  the  river. 

The  OuaetemantonSy  village  of  the  people  who  are 
on  the  point  of  a  lake. 

The  Songafquitonsy  (SirTetoans)  village  of  the  fort. 

Scioux  of  the  Weftern  Party  of  whom  we  have 
any  Knowledge. 

The  Tvuchouaefintonsy  which  means  village  of  the 

perch. 

The  PJincbatonSy  village  of  the  red  wild  rice. 
The  Oujatefpouetons,  village  difperfed  in  feveral  little 

bands 
The  PfinontanhinbintonSy  village  of  the  great  wild 

rice. 
The  TintangaongluatonSy  (Titonwans)  village  ot  the 

great  cabin. 

The  OuaepetonSy  (Warpetwans)  village  of  the  leaf. 
The  OughetgeodatonSy  village  of  the  dung. 
The  OuapeontetonSy  village  of  thofe  who  moot  in  a 

great  pine. 
The  HinhanetonSy  (Ihanktonwan)  village  of  the  red 

ftone  quarry. 


GRAVIER'S  VOYAGE 

DOWN  AND  UP  THE  MISSISSIPPI, 

1700. 


JOURNAL    OF    THE    VOYAGE 

OF 

FATHER    GRAVIER' 

Of  the  Society  of  Jefus,  in  1700,  from  the 
Country  of  the  Ilinois  to  the  Mouth  of  the 
Miffiffipi,  addrefled  to  Father  de  Lamber- 
ville,  and  fenr  from  the  Fort  of  the  Mif- 
fiffipi, 1 7  leagues  from  its  Mouth  in  the 
Gulf  or  Sea  of  Mexico,  Feb.  16,  1701. 

EVEREND  FATHER  ; 

S^-fiSHK 

Pax  Chrijli. 
*-$*•  ON  my  return  from  Michili- 

(|XJ» 

mackinac  I  received  your  letter  which  you  did 
me  the  honor  to  write  by  the  Mifliffipy,  addrefled 
to  Father  Aveneau,  who  fent  it  to  me  at  Chika- 

1  Father  James  Gravier  of  the  who  fufficiently  mattered  the  Ian- 
Society  of  Jefus,  the  writer  of  this  guage  to  compile  a  grammar.  His 
narrative,  was  one  of  the  earlieft  philological  labors  were  highly  ef- 
Illinois  miffionaries,  and  the  firft  teemed,  but  have  apparently  per- 


1 1 6        Down  and  Up  the  MiJJiffippi. 

goiia,2  whence  I  fet  out  on  the  8th  of  September, 
1700,  to  come  here.  I  arrived  too  late  at  the  Illi- 
nois du  Detroit,3  of  whom  Father  Mareft  has 
charge,  to  prevent  the  tranfmigration  of  the  village 
of  the  Kafkalkias,  which  was  too  precipitately  made 
on  vague  news  of  the  eftablifhment  on  the  Miffiffipi. 
I  do  not  believe  that  the  Kafkafkias  would  thus  have 
feparated  from  the  Peoiiaroiia  and  other  Illinois  du 
Detroit,  had  I  arrived  fooner.  At  all  events  I  came 
foon  enough  to  unite  minds  a  little,  and  to  prevent 
the  infult  which  the  Peoiiaroiia  and  the  Moiiin- 
goiiena  were  bent  on  offering  to  the  Kafkafkias  and 
French  as  they  embarked.  I  fpoke  to  all  the  chiefs 
in  full  council,  and  as  they  continue  to  preferve 
fome  refpecl  and  good  will  for  me,  we  feparated 

ifhed.      He  is  dated  to  have  been  a  ary   16,    1706,  adding  that  he  was 

native  of  Languedoc,  but  the  work  not  yet  out  of  danger.     Mareft  fays 

that  aflcrts  it  is  of  too  little  credit  that  he  died  foon  after, 
to  make  it  certain.      He  arrived  in 

Canada  apparently  after  1679,  was          2  He  evidently   ftarts   from   the 

at  Sillery  in    1684,  but  appears  in  Miami    miflion,    mentioned   in   St. 

the  Illinois  miflion  from    1687   to  Cofme's  journal.     Claude  Aveneau 

1706.     A  Relation  of  his  miflion  was  at  Detroit  in  1687,  and  by  his 

of  the   Immaculate  Conception  in  gentlencfs  and  patience  acquired  a 

1693  was  publifhed  at  New  York  great    influence  over   the   Miamis, 

in  1857,  and  Dillon,  author  of  the  who  were  ever  at  peace  with  the 

Hiftory  of  Indiana,  had  his  Regifter  French  till  the  meddlefomc  La  Motte 

from  1695  to  1699.     He  defrended  Cadillac   forced   him   to   leave   the 

the  Mifliflippi  in  1 700,  but  returned  miflion.     His  return  in   1 707  was 

to  his  miflion,  and  fome  years  after  the  fignal  of  peace, 
was  wounded  in  the  body  and  in 

the  arm  by  fome  of  the  Peorias,  at          3  This  defignation  does  not  ap- 

the  inftigation  of  the  medicine  men.  pear  elfewhere,  and  I  cannot  dif- 

He  defcended  to  Mobile  to  get  his  cover  whaty?r^//  is  referred  to.     It 

wounds  treated,  and  Benard  de  la  evidently  includes  the  Peorias. 
Harpe  notes  his  arrival  there  Janu- 


Down  and  Up  the  Mijfijfippi.       117 

very  peaceably.  But  I  augur  no  good  from  this 
feparation,  which  I  have  always  hindered,  feeing 
but  too  clearly  the  evil  refults.  God  grant  that  the 
road  from  Chikagoiia  to  the  Strait  (au  Detroit)  be 
not  clofed,  and  the  whole  Illinois  miffion  fuffer 
greatly.  I  avow  to  you,  Rev.  Father,  that  it  rends 
my  heart  to  fee  my  old  flock  thus  divided  and  dif- 
perfed,  and  I  mall  never  fee  it,  after  leaving  it, 
without  having  fome  new  caufe  of  affliction.  The 
Peouaroiia,  whom  I  left  without  a  miffionary  (fince 
Father  Mareft  has  followed  the  Kafkafkias)  have 
promifed  me  that  they  would  preferve  the  Church, 
and  that  they  would  await  my  return  from  the 
Miffiffipi,  where  I  told  them  that  I  went  only  to 
affure  myfelf  of  the  truth  of  all  that  was  faid  about 
it. "  This  gave  them  great  pleafure :  they  promifed 
me  that  they  would  leave  their  village  only  when 
I  mould  direct  them,  or  the  great  chief  down  the 
river  wimed  them  to  tranfport  it.  I  much  doubt 
whether  they  will  keep  their  word. 

After  having  marched  four  days  with  the  Kaf- 
kafkias,4  I  went  ahead  with  Father  Mareft,  whom 
I  left  fick  at  the  Tamarouha,  where  Father  Pinet 
difcharges  peaceably  all  the  functions  of  miffionary, 
and  Mr.  Bergier,5  who  gets  along  very  well  with 

4  Father  Marquette  and  Allouez  Gravier's  influence  induced  a  halt, 

found  the  Kafkafkias  on  the  upper  which  proved  a  lafting  one. 
waters  of  the  Illinois.     This  journal 

fhows  when  and  why  they  removed          5  Rev.  John  Bergier,  a  prieft  of 

to  the  prefent  Kafkafkia.     It.  was  in  the  Seminary  of  Quebec,  arrived  in 

the  view  of  joining  the  French  in  Canada,  it  is  faid,  in    1683.     He 

Louifiana,   that    they   fet    out,   but  was  not  of  Mr.  Montigny's  party, 


1 1 8  Father  Graviers  Voyage 

us,  has  care  only  of  the  French,  and  this  is  a  good 
relief  for  Father  Pinet. 

I  ftarted  from  the  Tamarouha  the  9th  October, 
to  come  here  at  the  lower  part  of  the  MirTifTipi,  to 
aflift  Father  du  Ru.6  I  was  accompanied  by  five 
canoes  of  Frenchmen.  For  my  part  1  had  in  my 
canoe  only  Brother  Guibert  and  a  Frenchman  tick 
with  the  tertian  fever.  At  two  leagues  from  the 
village  I  found  the  Tamarouha,  who  have  taken  up 
their  winter  quarters  in  a  beautiful  bay,  where  they 
await  the  Metchigamia,  who  are  to  come  over  fixty 
leagues  to  winter,  and  form  only  one  village  with 
them.  One  of  our  miffionaries  is  to  vifit  them 
every  fecond  day  all  the  winter  long,  and  do  as 
much  for  the  Kaoiikia,  who  have  taken  their  winter 
quarters  four  leagues  above  the  village. 

We  made  only  four  leagues  the  firft  day,  in  con- 
iequence  of  one  of  our  canoes  being  opened  by  a 
fnag  \chicot}  hidden  in  the  water,  which  flopped 
us  to  repair  it. 

but  foon  followed,  as  we  here  find  6  Father  du  Ru  came  out  as  chap- 

him  at  Cahokia  (Tamarois)  in  Sep-  lain  to  Iberville,  and  planted  a  crofs 

tember,   1700.     He  probably  fuc-  at  the  mouth  of  the  MiffifTippi,  the 

ceeded  St.  Cofme  at  the  Tamarois.  infcription  on  which  is  given  at  the 

On  Pinet's  death,  he  became  Indian  end  of  this  journal.     He  founded 

miffionary  alfo,  and  ftruggled  man-  the  Oumas  miffion,  erefting  a  chapel 

fully  with  the  medicine  men,  but  oppofite  the  temple.     He  was  foon 

his   health   failed,   and   after   being  fucceeded  by  Father  de  Lymoges, 

vifited    in    his    ficknefs    by   Father  and  remained  in  the  fettlement,  but 

Mareft,  died,  it  is  faid,  in   1710.  became   involved   in   difputes  with 

On  a  vifit  to  Mobile  in   1707  he  Mr.  Sauvolle,  the  commander.     His 

firft  announced   the  afl~a{fination  of  companion,   Father   Donge,   fell   a 

his  predeceflbr,  the  Rev.   Mr.  St.  viftim  to  the  climate,  and  he  re- 

Cofme.  turned  to  Europe 


Down  and  Up  the  Mijjiffippi.      119 

On  the  loth  day,  after  a  league's  progrefs,  we 
difcovered  the  river  Miaramigoua,7  where  the  very 
rich  lead  mine  is,  twelve  or  thirteen  leagues  from 
its  mouth.  This  mine  yields  three-fourths. 

On  the  iith  we  killed  a  buffalo  or  wild-ox, 
which  coft  us  ten  or  twelve  gun-fhots,  fo  well  did 
he  defend  his  life.  The  fever  which  feized  my 
pilot  obliged  us  to  land  at  one  in  the  afternoon,  and 
in  five  days,  although  the  current  was  ftrong,  we 
made  only  thirty-five  leagues,  becaufe  the  fick 
obliged  us  to  land  early,  and  becaufe  much  time  is 
loft  firing  on  the  buffaloes  that  line  the  river,  and 
who  are  almoft  always  left  to  be  devoured  by  the 
wolves. 

On  the  1 4th  we  doubled  Cape  St.  Croix.  It  is 
a  fmall  rock  which  makes  a  little  ifland  on  the  north 
of  the  MifTiflipi,  on  which  Mr.  de  Montigny  planted 
a  crofs.8  We  took  two  bears  there. 

On  the  1 5th,  continuation  of  fair  weather.  We 
faw  that  day  over  fifty  bears,  and  of  all  that  we 
killed,  we  took  only  four  to  have  the  oil.  Thofe 
that  came  down  along  the  MifTifTipi  were  lean,  and 
thofe  that  came  from  the  direction  of  the  river 
Ouabachci  were  fat.  They  were  conftantly  going 
from  fouth  to  north.  It  muft  be  better  for  them 
there. 

You  meet  a  number  of  iflands  and  fhoals  in  the 
courfe  of  the  Mifliflipi  river,  from  the  Tamarouha 

7  Marameg.     Charlevoix,  in  his     of  the  early  mining  attempts  made 
Htft.  de  la   Nouvelle  France,   vol.     here, 
in,  p.  438,  gives  an  amufing  account         g  see    ^  53. 


I2O          Father  Gravier's  Voyage 

to  the  river  Ouabachi ;  this  river  keeps  quite  clofely 
its  direction  of  north  to  fouth ;  but  three  or  four 
leagues  from  Ouabachi  it  begins  to  turn  to  the 
N.  N.  W.,  and  does  nothing  but  wind.  We  could 
not  judge  by  the  diftance  we  made  on  the  T5th 
what  direction  it  takes.  Father  Marquette  (who 
firft  difcovered  it  nearly  thirty  years  ago)  puts  it  in 
his  journal  three  leagues  from  Ouabachi,  36  deg. 
47  min.  We  cabined  in  fight  of  this  river,  which 
comes  from  the  fouth  and  empties  into  the  Miffif- 
fippi.  At  its  mouth  it  makes  a  great  bafin  two 
arpents  from  its  difcharge.  It  is  called  by  the  Illi- 
nois and  by  the  Oumiamis  the  river  of  the  Akanfea, 
becaufe  the  Akanfea  formerly  dwelt  on  it.9  Three 
branches  are  affigned  to  it,  one  that  comes  from  the 
northweft,  pamng  behind  the  country  of  the  Ou- 
miamis, called  the  River  St.  Jofeph,  which  the 
Indians  call  properly  Ouabachci.10  The  fecond 
comes  from  the  Iroquois,  and  it  is  that  called  by 
them  Ohio ;  and  the  third  from  the  S.  S.  W.,  on 
which  are  the  Chaoiianoua,11  and  all  three  uniting 
to  empty  into  the  Miffiffipi,  it  is  commonly  called 

9  This  is  an  important  fa£l  not  to  make  them  the  mound  builders 

elfewhere  alluded  to,  mowing  that  who  fled  down  the  Miffiflippi,  like 

this    branch  of  the   Dakoias  muft  the  fabulous  Alligewi  of  the  fchool 

have  penetrated  the  moft  early  of  books  of  other  days, 
any,  before  they  were  driven  fouth- 

erly   and    weft  of  the    Miffiflippi.        '°  Here  Gravier  diftinftly  ftates 

This  fact  will   probably  bafe  new  the  Wabafh  to  be  the  Indian  name 

theories  as  to  the  Ohio  mound  of  the  river  that  now  bears  the  name, 
builders,  poflibly  the  people  who  '  J  The  Shawnees.  This  branch 

were  attacked  by,  but  repulfed  the  is  the  Tenneflee. 
Arkanfas,  unless  it  is  more  pleafing 


Down  and  Up  the  Mijfiffippi.      121 

Ouabachi ;  but  the  Illinois  and  the  other  Indians 
call  it  the  River  of  the  Akanfea.  Its  water  is 
clear,  and  it  does  not  feem  very  rapid.  It  falls 
gently  into  the  MifTiflipi,  which  lofes  a  little  of  the 
muddy  color  given  it  by  the  River  of  the  MifTouris. 
I  found  an  excellent  remedy  to  cure  our  French 
of  their  fevers.  I  promifed  God  jointly  with  Peter 
de  Bonne,  who  had  a  violent  tertian  fever  for  a 
confiderable  time,  to  recite  for  nine  days  fome  pray- 
ers in  honor  of  Father  Francis  Regis,12  whofe  relics 
I  have,  which  I  applied  to  him  in  the  height  of  his 
fever,  when  it  ceafed  fuddenly,  and  he  had  no  more 
of  it  after  that  time.  After  my  novena  I  relumed 
my  reliquary,  which  I  hung  around  the  neck  of 
Louis  de  Hemme  of  Riviere  du  Loup,  with  whom 
I  began  a  fecond  novena,  and  from  the  firft  day  the 
fever  left  him ;  and  having  taken  off  my  reliquary 
the  fourth  or  fifth  day  of  the  novena  to  hang  it  on 
the  neck  of  one  by  name  Auguftine  La  Pointe  of 
Cote  St.  Michel  in  Canada,  who  had  already  had 
two  or  three  attacks  of  fever,  it  took  du  Hemme 
again,  who  feeing  himfelf  cured,  had  laid  that  I 
was  not  afraid  of  being  fick  with  that  reliquary 
always  hung  around  his  neck,  and  as  foon  as  I  took 

i*  St.  John  Francis  Regis  was  a  Puy  in  the  Velay,  in  1640,  in  the 
Jefuit  miffionary  in  France,  who,  midft  of  his  labors.  His  virtues 
failing  to  obtain  permiffion  to  de-  and  favors  led  to  his  canonization 
vote  himfelf  to  the  Indians  in  Amer-  in  1737.  The  Indian  town  of  St. 
ica,  fpent  his  life  in  giving  religious  Regis,  in  northern  New  York,  com- 
inftruflion  to  the  poor  country  peo-  memorates  the  fervices  of  this  de- 
pie,  who  were  much  neglected  in  voted  evangelift  of  the  poor, 
fome  parts  of  France.  He  died  at 


122          Father  Grower's  Voyage 

it  off,  the  fever  came  back  and  did  not  leave  him 
till  after  the  novena,  and  La  Pointe  was  cured  per- 
fectly from  the  firft  day  that  I  hung  my  reliquary 
around  his  neck,  which  I  did  not  remove  till  the 
novena  was  completed.  And  at  this  moment  Pierre 
Chabot  of  Ifle  Orleans,  who  had  the  fever  for  more 
than  fix  months,  having  hung  it  on  his  neck,  the 
third  day  of  the  novena  that  ftubborn  fever  dimin- 
imed  and  he  was  entirely  rid  of  it  at  the  end  of  the 
novena.  A  fmall  piece  of  Father  Regis's  hat,  which 
one  of  our  domeftics  gave  me  is  the  moft  infallible 
remedy  that  I  can  have  to  cure  all  kinds  of  fevers. 

Now  to  refume  my  route.  We  ftarted  on  the 
1 6th  of  October  from  the  mouth  of  the  Oiiabachi, 
with  very  favorable  weather,  and  we  found  the 
Miffiffipi  lefs  rapid  than  above  the  Oiiabachi.  As 
we  had  a  great  quantity  of  meat,  we  dried  in  hafte 
a  part  of  the  beft,  and  the  great  heat  obliged  us  to 
throw  away  the  reft.  We  faw  fo  great  a  quantity 
of  wild  pigeons,  that  the  air  was  darkened  and  quite 
covered  by  them.  We  ran  all  day  S.  S.  W.,  and 
five  leagues  below  Ouabachi  on  the  fouth  fide,  we 
found  great  bluffs  of  fand,  where  there  is  faid  to  be 
an  iron  mine.  The  pretended  plates  of  iron  at- 
tached to  pebbles,  are  anything  but  what  was  fup- 
pofed  and  what  I  was  told.  They  are  merely  veins 
of  hard  and  almoft  petrified  earth,  which  have  in  - 
deed  the  color  of  iron,  but  which  are  not  heavy, 
and  break  eafily.  I  took  a  piece  to  (how  that  if 
there  is  an  iron  mine,  it  muft  not  be  judged  by  that 
earth. 


Down  and  Up  the  Mijfijffippi.      123 

A  little  lower  down,  we  began  to  difcover  canes 
on  the  hillocks.  They  are  covered  with  evergreen 
leaves  from  the  bottom  to  the  point,  which  ter- 
minates in  a  little  tuft  of  leaves.  They  are  not 
over  feven  or  eight  feet  high  on  the  fides  of  the 
hills,  but  are  twenty,  thirty,  and  forty  feet  high  in 
the  woods,  efpecially  from  the  Akanfea. 

On  the  1 8th,  in  three  hours  time,  we  boxed  the 
compafs,  and  after  running  a  little  while  E.  S.  E.,  we 
went  half  round  it  again  in  a  bay  of  more  than  two 
leagues,  which  can  be  cut  acrofs  at  high  water. 

On  the  1 9th  we  overtook  the  two  canoes  that 
had  left  us,  and  about  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
we  found  on  the  north  fide,  three  or  four  leagues 
further  down,  beyond  a  little  prairie,  an  echo  which 
repeats  five  words  diftinctly,  and  begins  to  repeat 
what  you  fay  only  when  you  finim  pronouncing  the 
lafi  word. 

On  the  2oth  great  heat ;  we  flept  in  fight  of 
great  bluffs  of  ftone,  called  Fort  Prud'homme,  be- 
caufe  Mr.  de  la  Salle,  going  on  his  difcovery,  en- 
trenched himfelf  here  with  his  party,  fearing  that 
Prud'homme,  who  had  got  loft  in  the  woods,  had 
been  killed  by  the  Indians,  and  that  he  himfelf 
would  be  attacked.  Laft  year  a  quantity  of  bears 
were  killed  at  this  place.  The  rain  detained  us  the 
22d  and  23d  on  a  great  fand  bank,  whence  we 
gained  an  ifland  where  there  was  petrified  wood.  I 
do  not  know  whether  it  is  a  fpring  or  a  ftream  of 
water  that  has  this  power,  as  there  is  in  Auvergne, 
on  the  confines  of  Bourbonnois,  a  mineral  fountain 


124          Father  Gravier's  Voyage 

that  petrifies  the  leaves  of  the  trees  that  fall  in  ;  or 
whether  it  is  the  fun  which  blackens  and  hardens 
fmall  bits  of  rotten  wood  left  on  the  fand  after  the 
high  waters.  Be  that  as  it  may,  I  faw  large  and 
fmall ;  it  cannot  be  doubted,  for  there  are  fome  that 
are  not  yet  petrified,  and  which  are  part  wood  and 
part  black  ftone  which  breaks  eafily.  A  blackfmith 
who  was  in  the  party  took  the  petrified  wood  for 
coal,  but  befides  its  not  being  fo  heavy,  he  was  con- 
vinced of  the  contrary  by  throwing  it  into  the  fire. 

On  the  24th  we  found  a  quantity  of  grapes,  but 
they  are  nothing  to  what  had  been  reprefented  to 
me,  and  neither  as  good  nor  as  large  as  thofe  found 
on  the  River  of  the  Illinois,  and  efpecially  on  the 
River  of  the  Miamis  and  in  greater  quantity. 

On  the  25th  there  fell  fo  heavy  a  rain  that  we 
had  to  get  up  on  a  hill  more  than  thirty  feet  high 
and  tranfport  our  cabin  there. 

On  the  26th  we  pafled  the  Riviere  a  Mayot'3  on 
the  fouth,  from  the  name  of  an  Indian  of  the  Mo- 
hegan  nation  who  was  of  Mr.  de  la  Salle's  party. 
This  river  does  not  feem  to  be  very  large,  but  is 
laid  to  be  a  good  hunting  ground,  and  that  the 
Chickacha  come  to  its  mouth,  from  which  they  are 
only  three  day's  journey,  cutting  fouth  inland. 

A  league  or  two  lower  down  we  found  a  periagira 
of  Taogria.H  They  are  people  of  the  Mohegan 

13  Riviere  a  Margot.  the  river  of  Cafquinambo  (Tennef 

fee),  a  branch  of  the  Ohio,  and  af- 

14  Benard  de  la  Harpe  mentions     cribes  the  butchery  of  fome  French- 
the  Taogarios  as  a  nation  fettled  on     men  to  the  Englifh  fettled  among 


Down  and  Up  the  Miffiffippi.      125 

nation,  who  trade  much  with  the  Englifh.  There 
were  only  fix  men,  a  woman,  and  child ;  they  were 
coming  from  the  Akanfea.  The  one  who  feemed 
to  me  the  moft  confiderable  faid  Tome  Illinois  words, 
and  fpoke  Chaouanoiia.  He  made  me  fit  down  on 
a  bear  fkin  fpread  before  his  field  cabin,  and  pre- 
fented  me  fagamity  to  eat ;  he  then  told  me  as  news 
that  Father  de  Limoges,1 5  (whom  he  called  Captain 
Pauiongha)  had  capfized  in  his  canoe  and  loft  every 
thing;  and  that  the  Kappa  Akanfea  had  given  him 
provifions  and  a  canoe  to  continue  his  journey.  I 
gave  him  a  knife  and  half  a  box  of  vermillion.  He 
made  me  a  prefent  of  a  large  piece  of  meat  of  his 
chafe.  A  league  after  parting  with  him  we  killed 
four  does.  We  did  not  expect  fuch  a  piece  of  good 
luck ;  and  we  neither  killed  nor  faw  another  beaft 
from  Riviere  a  Mayot  to  the  fea. 

On  the  ayth  we  pafled  St.  Francis  river  at  the 
point  of  a  turn  to  the  north,  eighteen  leagues  from 
the  Akanfea. 

On  the  29th  leaving  our  cabinage  we  ran  weft 
and  then  kept  fouthweft.  About  noon  we  dif- 
covered  four  periaguas  of  Akanfeas ;  when  my 
canoe  got  near  land,  an  old  man  came  into  the  water 
and  carried  me  afhore  on  his  moulders.  The  chief 
made  me  fit  down  on  a  great  bearfkin,  and  the 
French  on  ofier  branches,  which  he  made  his  young 

them.  It  is  therefore  worth  while  '5  Father  Jofeph  de  Lymoges 
to  inveftigate  who  were  thefe  Al-  muft  have  been  on  the  Illinois  mif- 
gonquin  Indians  on  the  Tenneflee  lion,  and  on  his  way  down  at  this 
known  to  the  Englifh  in  1 700.  time.  After  his  Oumas  miffion  all 

trace  of  him  difappears, 

R 


126          Father  Graviers  Voyage 

men  cut.  He  prefented  me  two  piakimina  cakes, 
which  I  diftributed  among  the  French ;  and  af- 
flicted as  I  was  that  they  did  not  underftand  me, 
wifhing  to  fpeak  to  them  of  God,  I  retired  to  pray 
for  them,  while  the  kettles  were  boiling.  They 
ferved  me  a  plate  of  fagamity  of  fmall  Indian  corn, 
and  another  of  fmall  corn  whole,  feafoned  with  ex- 
cellent fquam.  I  made  a  little  prefent  to  the  chief  of 
the  band,  and  on  the  3Oth  we  went  and  cabined  a 
league  lower  down,  half  a  league  from  the  old  village 
of  the  Akanfea,  where  they  formerly  received  the 
late  Father  Marquette,  and  which  is  difcernible  now 
only  by  the  old  outworks  (deborsj,  there  being  no 
cabins  left. 

On  the  3 1  ft,  about  9  A.  M.,  we  arrived  at  the 
village  of  the  Kappa  Akanfea,  who  are  at  24  deg., 
according  to  Father  Marquette's  eftimate.  The 
village  is  half  a  league  from  the  water's  edge.  Mr. 
de  Montigny  planted  a  crofs  on  the  hill,  which  is 
very  fteep,  and  forty  feet  high.  After  faluting  the 
crofs  and  chanting  the  Vexilla  Regis  with  the  French 
we  notified  the  Akanfea  by  three  guns,  and  in  lefs 
than  half  a  quarter  of  an  hour  at  moft,  two  young 
men  appeared  fword  in  hand,  followed  clofe  by  the 
chief  of  the  Kappas  and  the  chief  of  the  Tourima, 
and  twenty  or  thirty  well  made  young  men  with 
their  bows  and  arrows.  Some  had  fwords,  and  two 
or  three  Englifh  guns,  given  to  them  laft  year  by 
the  man  who  brought  them  a  lot  of  merchandife 
to  alienate  them  from  the  French,  and  efpecially 
from  the  miflionaries,  whom  he  had  an  averfion 


Down  and  Up  the  Miffijfippi.      127 

againft,  boafting  that  he  would  put  the  firft  he  met 
in  irons  and  put  them  to  death.  The  French  who 
took  him  found  wherewith  to  make  him  a  pair  of 
handcuffs  with  irons,  and  prevented  his  doing  all  the 
harm  he  propofed  to  do.'6  He  had  already  two 
concubines  at  the  Kappas. 

To  refume;  the  chiefs  invited  me  to  go  to  their 
village,  which  confifts  of  forty  cabins.  A  part  of 
the  French  accompanied  me  there,  while  the  others 
guarded  the  canoes  at  anchor.  They  took  me  to 
the  cabin  of  the  chief,  who  made  me  fit  down  on 
a  mat  of  dreiTed  canes,  and  at  the  fame  time  put 
on  the  fire  a  kettle  of  fmall  Indian  corn,  feafoned 
plentifully  with  dried  peaches.  They  brought 
me  from  another  cabin  a  large  platter  of  ripe  fruit 
of  piakimina  It  is  pretty  much  like  the  French 
medlar.  The  platter  was  prefented  to  the  chief 
to  hand  to  me.  As  it  is  the  moft  excellent  fruit 
the  Indians  have  from  the  Illinois  to  the  fea,  the 
chief  did  not  fail  to  begin  his  feaft  with  it.  After 
tafting  a  little  I  pafTed  the  dim  to  Brother  Guibert 
and  the  French  who  fat  oppofite  me.  I  did  the 
fame  with  the  fagamity.  I  remarked  that  all  who 
entered  the  cabin  flood  at  the  door,  and  advanced 
only  when  the  chief  told  them  to  do  fo  and  fit  down. 
There  was  a  Metchigamikoiie  woman  there,  who 
acted  as  my  interpreter,  and  confirmed  the  ftory  of 

1 6  It  is  probably  impoffible,  at  Chickafaws  to  attack  the  Colapiflas, 

this  day,  to  difcover  who  were  thefe  fettling  among  the  Arkanfas.  trading 

adventurous  Englifhmen  who  were  on  the  Tenneflee. 
fo  early  on  the  Miffiffippi,  leading 


128  Father  Graviers  Voyage 

Father  de  Limoges'  capfizing  and  lofs  of  all  he  had. 
She  gave  him  her  provifion  of  Indian  corn  and 
fquafhes  to  carry  him  as  far  as  the  Natchez,  and  the 
chief  gave  him  an  earthen  pot,  after  regaling  him 
as  well  as  he  could.  I  afked  him  whether  he  re- 
collected to  have  formerly  feen  a  Frenchman  dreiTed 
in  black,  attired  like  me,  in  their  village.  He  re- 
plied that  he  recollected  it  well,  but  that  it  was  fo 
long  ago  that  he  could  not  count  the  years.  I  told 
him  that  it  was  more  than  twenty-feven  years.  He 
added  that  they  danced  the  Captain's  calumet  to 
him,  which  I  did  not  at  once  underfland,  fuppofing 
that  he  fpoke  of  the  calumet  of  the  Illinois,  which 
the  Kalkafkias  had  given  Father  Marquette  to  carry 
with  him  on  the  Miffiffipi  as  a  fafeguard ;  but  I 
found  in  the  Father's  journal  that  they  did  in  fact 
dance  the  calumet  to  him.  He  then  had  me  afked 
in  how  many  days  I  would  ftart,  and  having  told 
him  that  I  had  come  afhore  merely  to  falute  him  in 
his  cabin,  and  that  I  was  going  to  embark,  he  begged 
me  to  remain  at  leaft  one  day,  to  have  provifions 
prepared,  and  that  all  the  young  men  of  his  village 
were  very  glad  to  fee  me.  I  replied  to  his  compli- 
ment and  ftated  that  I  was  in  hafte  to  get  to  my 
journey's  end.  I  had  previouily  inquired  whether 
there  were  any  fick  ;  my  interpreter  informed  me 
that  there  were  none.  At  laft,  after  a  good  deal  of 
going  and  coming,  and  many  confutations  with  his 
people,  the  chief  of  the  village  afked  me  to  ftay  till 
next  day,  becaufe  he  wifhed  to  dance  the  chief's  cal- 
umet with  his  young  men  to  me.  As  this  is  a  fpecial 


Down  and  Up  the  Miffijfippi.      129 

honor  which  is  done  but  rarely,  and  only  to  perfons 
of  diflinction,  I  thanked  him  for  his  good  will, 
faying  that  I  did  not  efteem  myfelf  a  captain,  and 
that  I  was  darting  immediately.  My  anfwer  pleafed 
the  French,  but  it  was  fcarcely  agreeable  to  all  the 
others,  who  by  doing  me  this  honor  hoped  to  draw 
prefents  from  me.  The  chief  conducted  me  to  the 
water's  edge,  followed  by  all  his  people,  and  they 
brought  me  a  quantity  of  dried  peaches,  piachimina, 
and  fquafhes.  I  made  a  prefent  to  the  chief  of  a 
little  lead  and  powder,  and  a  box  of  vermillion  to 
daub  his  youth,  and  fome  other  trifle  which  he  was 
much  pleafed  with,  telling  him  that  I  thanked  him 
for  the  fervice  he  had  rendered  Father  Limoges. 
After  I  embarked  they  fired  four  guns,  to  which  the 
people  with  me  refponded.  Two  leagues  from  the 
village  there  is  a  little  river,  on  which  they  go  in 
canoes  in  the  fpring,  behind  the  hills,  to  their  cabin 
doors. 

As  I  have  here  mentioned  the  calumet,  you  will 
be  pleafed  to  have  me  tell  you  fomething  of  it 
here.  There  is  nothing  among  these  Indians  more 
myfterious  or  commendable.  No  fuch  honor  is 
paid  to  the  crowns  and  fceptres  of  kings  as  they  pay 
to  it.  It  feems  to  be  the  god  of  peace  and  war,  the 
arbiter  of  life  and  death.  To  carry  and  mow  it  en- 
ables you  to  march  with  aiTurance  amid  enemies  who 
in  the  heat  of  the  combat  lay  down  their  arms  when 
it  is  mown.  It  was  on  this  account  that  the  Illi- 
nois gave  one  to  the  late  Father  Marquette  as 
a  fafeguard  among  the  nations  of  the  Mifliflipi, 


130          Father  Gravier's  Voyage 

through  whom  he  was  to  pass  on  his  voyage  going 
to  the  difcovery  of  this  river  and  the  nations  dwell- 
ing on  it. 

There  is  a  calumet  for  peace  and  one  for  war, 
which  are  diftinguifhed  fimply  by  the  colour  of  the 
feathers  with  which  they  are  trimmed.  The  red 
is  a  mark  of  war ;  they  ufe  it  alio  to  fettle  their  dif- 
putes,  to  confirm  alliances  and  to  Ipeak  to  Grangers. 
It  is  a  kind  of  pipe  to  fmoke  tobacco,  made  of  a 
red  ftone  polimed  like  marble  and  pierced  fo  that 
one  end  ferves  to  receive  the  tobacco  and  the  other 
fits  on  the  handle.  This  is  a  hollow  piece  of  wood, 
two  feet  long,  and  as  thick  as  an  ordinary  cane.  It 
is  by  reaion  of  this  that  the  French  have  ftyled  it 
Calumet,  corrupting  the  word  Cbalumeau,  becaufe 
it  refembles  a  pipe,  or  rather  a  long  flute.  It  is 
embellimed  with  the  head  or  neck  of  various  birds, 
whofe  plumage  is  very  beautiful.  They  add  alfo 
large  red  or  green  or  other  coloured  feathers,  with 
which  it  is  all  trimmed.  They  efteem  it  efpecially 
becaufe  they  regard  it  as  the  calumet  or  pipe  of  the 
fun,  and  in  fad:  they  proffer  it  to  him  to  fmoke 
when  they  wifh  to  obtain  calm,  rain  or  fair  weather. 
They  would  icruple  to  bathe  in  the  beginning  of 
hot  weather,  or  to  eat  new  fruits  till  after  they  had 
danced  the  calumet,  that  is  to  fay,  the  chief  holds 
it  in  his  hands  finging  airs,  to  which  the  others  re- 
fpond,  dancing  and  making  geftures  in  time  with 
the  found  of  certain  inftruments  of  the  fafhion  of 
fmall  drums. 

On  the    i  ft  of  November  moft  of  the  French 


Down  and  Up  the  Mijfijjlppi.      131 

approached  the  facraments,  and  after  celebrating 
the  feaft17  in  the  beft  way  we  could,  we  con- 
tinued our  voyage  and  difcovered  the  river  of  the 
Akanfea'*  eight  leagues  from  the  'village  of  the 
Kappa. 

The  Sitteoiii  Akanfea  are  five  leagues  above  its 
mouth  and  are  much  more  numerous  than  the 
Kappa  and  Tourima  ;  thefe  are  the  three  villages  of 
the  Akanfea.18  This  river,  which  is  on  the  north 
of  the  MiffifTipi,  is  very  beautiful ;  it  divides  into 
three  branches  a  league  from  the  village  of  the 
Oufitteoiii,  it  runs  N.  W.  and  by  afcending  it  they 
go  to  reach  the  river  of  the  MirTouris  by  making  a 
portage.  They  reckon  60  leagues  from  the  Kappa 
to  the  river  of  the  Toumika,  and  on  the  third  day 
we  patted  Pointe  Coupee,  which  is  half  way.  We 
were  then  at  anchor  for  fix  days  of  rain,  and  did 
not  make  much  progrefs. 

On  the  yth  a  furious  fog  arofe  and  the  rain 
obliged  us  to  cabin  on  a  hill  more  than  40  or  50 
feet  high,  and  at  7  P.  M.  we  were  furprifed  by  a 
furious  gale.  It  lafted  over  an  hour  and  gave  all 
hands  plenty  of  exercife  to  fave  the  canoes  and  bag- 
gage, and  threatened  to  crufh  us  every  moment 
under  the  trees  that  were  falling  around  us.  When 
the  wind  fell  the  rain  was  io  violent  for  two  days 
that  I  never  faw  the  like. 

Our  people  killed  a  crocodile  three  fathoms 
long.  It  is  an  animal  of  the  colour  of  a  toad, 
fhaped  like  a  lizard.  It  is  often  found  on  land  and 

17  Feaft  of  All  Saints.  '8  See  page  75  n. 


132          Father  GravieSs  Voyage 

although  it  walks  very  flowly,  men  feldom  ap- 
proach it  unlefs  well  armed.  The  fcales  with  which 
it  is  covered  are  proof  againft  fmall  mot,  and  re- 
quire a  ball  to  pierce  them;  I  do  not  know  how 
the  Indians  do,  who  have  only  arrows,  unlefs  they 
flide  under,,  the  fcales  behind.  Its  mouth  is  very 
large  and  armed  with  two  rows  of  teeth  longer  than 
a  bear's.  It  makes  you'mudder  to  fee  it  and  hear 
it  grit  its  teeth.  They  say  that  the  tongue  is  good 
eating,  but  I  have  not  yet  had  the  curiofity  to  tafte 
it  or  the  reft  of  the  body,  which  moft  of  the  In- 
dians efteem  a  great  dainty.  From  time  to  time  it 
cofts  the  life  of  fome  of  thofe  who  venture  to 
plunge  in  to  take,  them  after,  they  are  wounded. 
Many  are^to  be  feen  larger  than  this  one. 

.On  the  1 3th,  after  the  mafs  of  the  BlefTed  Stan- 
iflaus,19  we  fet  out  and  the  next  day  reached  the  river 
of  the  Tounika.  I  left  the  five  canoes  of  French 
at  the  mouth ;  it  is  on  the  fouth  of  the  Miffiffippi. 
I  embarked  in  my  canoe  to  go  and  vilit  Mr.  Da- 
vion,  •  miffionary  prieft,  who  was  lick ;  I  left  my 
canoe  four  leagues  from  the  river  at  the  foot  of  a 
hill,  where  there  are  five  or  fix  cabins.  The  road, 
which  is  two  leagues  by  land,  is  quite  pretty. ,  I 
found  piakimina  trees  loaded  with  fruit  and  many 
copal  trees  exuding  gum.  We  pafTed  in  the  roads 
canes  forty  feet  high  and  thick  as  your  arm.  The 
ftalk  of  the  corn,  which  we  call  Indian  corn,  is 
over  fifteen  to  twenty  feet  high,  and  fo  are  the  fun 

19  St.  Staniflaus  Koftka  of  the  beatified,  and  was  canonized  in  the 
Society  of  Jefus  j  he  was  at  this  time  year  1 727. 


Down,  and  Up  the  Mijfijfippi.       133 

flowers  and  thick  in  proportion.  We  faw  five  or 
fix  hamlets  of  a  few  cabins,  and  I  was  furprized 
that  the  Indians,  who  fo  rarely  fee  Frenchmen, 
fhowed  fo  little  curiofity.  There  was  none  except 
at  Mr.  Davion's  village,  where  all  the  people 
efcorted  me  to  the  houfe  of  that  fervent  miffionary, 
whom  I  found  in  bed  with  the  fever.  He  arofe 
next  day  to  receive  at  my  mafs,'and  went  out  for 
the  firft  time  with  me  to  viiit  fome  cabins.  He 
converfed  with  me  with  great  franknefs  on  the 
million  which  he  is  beginning  to  eftablifh,  and  God 
blefles  his  zeal  and  the  ftudy  which  he  makes  of 
the  language,  which  he  begins  to  fpeak  better  than 
could  be  naturally  expected  from  a  perfon  of  his 
age.  There  are  three  different  languages  in  his 
miffion,  the  Jakou20  of  30  cabins,  the  Ounfpik  of 
10  or  12  cabins,  and  the  Toumika  who  are  in  feven 
hamlets,  and  who  comprife  in  all  50  or  60  fmall  cabins. 
He  devotes  himfelf  only  to  this  laft  language,  and 
the  Tounika  being  the  moft  numerous  give  name  to 
the  miffion.  They  are  very  docile;  polygamy  is 
rare  among  them,  but  their  caprice  and  the  cuftom 
of  the  country  authorizes  repudiation  for  next  to 
nothing,  for  which  reafon  the  village  is  fcarcely 
peopled,  and  I  faw  hardly  any  children.  The  girls 
are  not  fo  loofe  or  bold  as  they  are  among  the 
Natchez  and  Taenfa.  They  acknowledge  nine 
gods,  the  fun,  thunder,  fire,  the  god  of  the  eaft, 
fouth,  north  and  weft,  of  heaven  and  of  earth.  In 
each  cabin  there  is  a  great  poft  that  fupports  it,  at 

20  Apparently  the  Yazoos. 

s 


134  Father  Gravier*s  Voyage 

the  foot  of  which  there  are  two  or  three  little 
earthen  pots  near  the  fire,  out  of  which  they  take 
a  little  ames  to  put  in  thefe  pots,  from  I  know  not 
what  fuperftition.  This  is  the  poft  of  the  fpirit  or 
genius.  They  are  fo  clofe- mouthed  as  to  all  the 
myfteries  of  their  religion  that  the  miffionary 
could  not  difcover  anything  about  it.  The  women 
have  a  drefs  of  mulberry  cloth  which  they  fpin  like 
hemp  and  flax ;  it  is  a  ftrong,  thick  cloth.  Their 
petticoat  is  very  decent,  from  the  waift  to  below 
the  knees ;  there  is  a  fringe  very  well  worked  as 
well  as  their  mantle,  either  all  uniform  or  worked 
in  lozenges  or  in  fquares  or  in  ermine,  which  they 
wear  ufually  as  a  fam,  and  rarely  on  the  two  moul- 
ders. Neither  men  nor  women  greafe  or  oil  their 
hair  like  all  our  Canadian  Indians,  but  this  is 
perhaps  from  lack  of  both  (greafe  and  oil),  bear's 
meat  and  deer  being  very  rare  in  their  village  as 
well  as  all  other  beafts.  The  women  have  a  great 
trefs  of  hair  on  the  back  which  hangs  down  below 
the  waift ;  they  alfo  make  a  crown  of  it  around 
the  head.  Their  head  like  the  men's  is  flat.  Mo- 
thers carefully  put  their  children's  heads  in  prefs 
from  birth  to  render  them  flat.  Moft  of  the  men 
have  long  hair,  and  no  drefs  but  a  wretched  deer 
(kin.  Sometimes  they  too,  as  well  as  the  women, 
have  mantles  of  turkey  feathers  or  of  mufkrats 
fkins  well  woven  and  worked.  The  men  do 
here  what  peafants  do  in  France ;  they  cultivate 
and  dig  the  earth,  plant  and  harveft  the  crops,  cut 
the  wood  and  bring  it  to^the  cabin,  drefs  the  deer 


Down  and  Up  the  Miffiffippi.       135 

and  buffalo  fkins  when  they  have  any.  They  drefs 
them  the  beft  of  all  Indians  that  I  have  feen.  The 
women  do  only  indoor  work,  make  the  earthen 
pots  and  their  clothes.  Their  cabins  are  round 
and  vaulted.  They  are  lathed  with  "canes  and 
plaftered  with  mud  from  bottom  to  top,  within 
and  without  with  a  good  covering  of  ftraw.  There 
is  no  light  except  by  the  door,  and  no  matter  how 
little  fire  there  is  (the  smoke  of  which 'has  no 
efcape  but  the  door)  it  is  as  hot*  as  a  vapour  bath. 
At  night  a  lighted  torch  of  dried  canes  ferves  as  a 
candle  and  keeps  all  the  cabin  warm.  Their  bed 
is  of  round  canes,  raifed  on  four  pofts,  three  feet 
high,  and  a  cane  mat  ferves  as  a  mattrafs.  Nothing 
is  neater  than  their  cabins.  You  iee  there  neither 
clothes,  nor  facks,  nor  kettles,  nor  hatchets,  nor  guns; 
they  carry  all  with  them  and  have  no  riches  but 
earthenpots  quite  well  made;  efpecially  little  glazed 
pitchers,  as  neat  as  you  would  fee  in  France ;  their 
granaries  are  near  their  cabins,  made  like  dove- 
cotes, built  on  four  large  pofts  15  or  16  feet  high, 
well  put  together  and  well  polimed,  fo  that  the 
mice  cannot  climb  up,  and  in  this  way  they  pro- 
tecl:  their  corn  and  fquaflies,  which  are  ftill  better 
than  thofe  of  the  Illinois.  There  are  no  peaches 
in  this  village  as  there  at  the  Akanfea  ;  but  fuch  an 
abundance  of  piakimina,  that  they  go  in  the  woods 
with  their  families  to  harveft  them,  as  the  Illinois 
go  with  their  families  to  hunt  the  buffalo,  which 
is  very  rare  in  this  country,  where  they  live  on  this 
fruit  in  the  woods  for  a  month,  befides  which  they 


136          Father  Graviers  Voyage 

pound  and  dry  great  quantities  which  they  prefer ve 
for  a  long  time.  They  have  only  one  fmall  tem- 
ple raifed  on  a  mound  of  earth.  They  never  enter 
it,  Mr.  Davion  told  me,  except  when  going  to  or 
returning  from  war,  and  do  not  make  all  the  howl- 
ings  of  the  Taenfa  and  Natches  when  they  pafs  in 
front  of  their  temples,  where  there  is  always  an  old 
man  who  maintains  the  fire. 

Mr.  St.  Cofme  having  learned  that  Mr.  Davion 
was  in  extremis,  arrived  from  the  miffion  of  the 
Natches.  Before  my  departure  they  both  con- 
firmed Father  de  Limoge's  accident,  and  his  faving 
only  his  chalice  and  crucifix  of  all  that  he  had  with 
him.  They  gave  him  all  that  he  needed  to  go  to  the 
Fort  of  the  Miffiffipi,  greatly  edified  at  the  joy  and 
firmnefs  which  he  difplayed  in  the  very  confidera- 
ble  lofs  he  fuftained  of  all  the  miflion  furniture, 
bleffing  God,  they  told  me,  for  thus  weaning  him 
from  all  he  had.  The  Natches,  Mr.  de  St.  Cofme 
affured  me,  are  far  from  being  as  docile  as  the 
Tounika.  They  practice  polygamy,  fleal  and  are 
very  vicious,  the  girls  and  women  more  than  the 
men  and  boys,  among  whom  there  is  much  to  re- 
form before  anything  can  be  expected  of  them. 
The  Taenfas,  who  fpeak  the  fame  language,  have 
the  fame  habits  also ;  their  village  is  twenty  leagues 
from  the  river  of  the  Tounika.  It  is  four  leagues 
inland.  After  one  league's  march,  you  come  to  a 
lake  where  there  are  always  a  number  of  alligators. 
It  muft  be  crofled  in  a  canoe  to  reach  the  village, 
which  is  more  clofe  fet  than  that  of  the  Tounika. 


Down  and  Up  the  Miffijfippi.       137 

The  temple  having  been  reduced  to  afhes  laft 
year  by  lightning,  which  fell  on  a  matter 'as  com- 
buftible  as  the  canes  with  which  it  is  thatched,  the 
old  man  who  is  its  guardian,  faid  that  the  fpirit  was 
incenfed  becaufe  no  one  was  put  to  death  on  the 
deceafe  of  the  laft  chief,  and  that  it  was  neceflary 
to  appeafe  him.  Five  women  had  the  cruelty  to 
caft  their  children  into  the  fire,  in  fight  of  the 
French  who  recounted  it  to  me,  or  rather  gave 
them  to  the  old  man  who  caft  them  into  the  fire 
while  making  his  invocations  and  chanting  with 
thefe  women  during  the  cruel  ceremony,  and  but 
for  the  French  there  would  have  been  a  great  many 
more  children  burnt.  The  chief's  cabin  having 
been  converted  into  a  temple  the  five  unnatural 
mothers  were  borne  to  it  in  triumph  as  five  hero- 
ines. 

At  the  point  of  the  turn  where  the  village  is, 
the  river  is  not  over  an  arpent  and  a  half  wide, 
and  forms  a  ftrait,  where  it  is  very  difficult  to 
ftem  the  current,  and  it  is  here  that  Mr.  de  la 
Salle  fays  there  is  a  whirlpool  where  trees  plunge 
in  root  up  and  come  out  only  half  a  league  lower 
down.  I  did  not  perceive  this,  perhaps  it  occurred 
only  when  he  parTed  or  is  feen  only  from  time  to 
time.  After  meeting  with  heavy  rains  which 
would  have  inundated  all  our  baggage  by  night, 
had  I  flept  as  foundly  as  our  canoe  men,  we  had 
pretty  fair  weather  to  reach  the  Natches,  fouth  of 
the  Taenfas,  from  whom  they  are  only  twenty 
leagues  diftant.  After  mounting  a  little  bluff  you 


10 


138  Father  Gravier's  Voyage 

find  a  great  beaten  road  leading  to  a  rather  fteep 
hill,  more  than  half  which  is  covered  in  the  high 
waters.  On  top  of  this  hill  you  difcern  a  noble 
prairie.  The  moft  beaten  road  leads  to  the  village 
where  the  temple  is ;  the  others  running  off  right 
and  left,  lead  to  different  hamlets.  There  are  only 
four  cabins  in  that  in  which  the  temple  is.  It  is 
very  fpacious  and  covered  with  cane  mats,  which 
they  renew  every ;  year  with  great  ceremonies, 
which  it  would  be  prolix  to  infert  here.  They 
begin  by  a  four  days'  faft  with  emetics,  till  blood 
comes.  There  is  no  window,  no  chimney  in  this 
temple,  and  it  is  only  by  the  light  of  the  fire  that 
you  can  fee  a  little,  and  then  the  door  which  is  very 
low  and  narrow  muft  be  open.  I  imagine  that  the 
obfcurity  of  the  place  inipires  them  with  refpedl:. 
The  old  man  who  is  the  keeper,  keeps  the  fire  up 
and  takes  great  care  not  to  let  it  go  out.  It  is  in 
the  centre  of  the  temple  in  front  of  a  fort  of  mau- 
foleum  after  the  Indian  famion.  There  are  three, 
about  eight  or  nine  feet  long,  fix  feet  broad  and 
nine  or  ten  feet  high.  They  are  fupported  by  four 
large  pofts  covered  with  mats  of  canes  in  quite  neat 
columns  and  (urmounted  by  a  platform  of  plaited 
canes.  This  would  be  rather  graceful  were  it  not 
all  blackened  with  fmoke  and  covered  with  foot. 
There  is  a  large  mat  which  ferves  as  a  curtain  to 
cover  a  large  table,  covered  with  five  or  fix  cane 
mats  on  which  ftands  a  large  bafket  that  it  is  un- 
lawful to  open,  as  the  fpirit  of  each  nation  of  thofe 
quarters  repofes  there,  they  fay,  with  that  of  the 


Down  and  Up  the  Miffiflippi.      139 

Natches.  I  am  provoked  at  myfelf  for  not  open  • 
ing  the  bafket,  although  I  would  have  offended  the 
old  man  to  have  opened  the  curtain  and  touched 
this  bafket.  There  are  others  in  the  other  two 
maufoleums,  where  the  bones  of  their  chiefs  are, 
they  fay,  which  they  revere  as  divinities.  All  that 
I  faw  fomewhat  rare  was  a  piece  of  rock  cryftal, 
which  I  found  in  a  little  bafket.  I  faw  a  number 
of  little  earthen  pots,  platters,  and  cups,  and  little 
cane  bafkets,  all  well  made.  This  is  to  ferve  up 
food  to  the  fpirits  of  the  deceafed  chiefs,  and  the 
temple  keeper  finds  his  profit  in  it. 

After  examining  all  that  there  is  in  this  temple, 
I  law  neither  there  nor  elfewhere,  the  gold,  filver, 
or  precious  ftones"  or  riches,  or  nine  fathoms  of 
fine  pearls  mentioned  by  the  author  of'  a  relation 
printed  in  the  name  of  Mr.  de  Tonty,  and  which 
he  has  difavowed  to  one  who  reproached  him  with 
all  the  falfehoods  with  which  it  is  fluffed.21  It  is 
alfo  a  fable,  what  that  writer  ventures  to  mention 
as  having  been  feen  by  Mr.  Tonty  in  a  little  clofet 
fet  in  the  mud  covered  wall,  where  I  neither  faw 
nor  tafted  the  exquifite  liquors  of  which  he  fpeaks. 
Thefe  things  are  all  invented  by  the  fame  writer  to. 
fet  off  his  account.  It  is  a  fad:  that  the  chief's  wife 
has  fome  fmall  pearls,  which  are  neither  round  nor 
well  pierced,  but  about  feven  or  eight  which  are  as 

21  The  real  narrative  of  the  Sieur  the  one  iflued  in  his  name 'was  at 

de  Tonty  exifts,  but  only  an  im-  once  expofed  and  it  was  always  dif- 

perfeft  Englifli  tranflation  has  ap-  avowed  by  him. 
peared.     The  fidlitious  charafter  of 


I4-O          Father  Gravier's  Voyage 

large  as  fmall  peas,  which  were  bought  for  more 
than  their  value  after  a  good  deal  of  feeking.  There 
are  none  of  the  riches  or  rareties  which  they  pre- 
tended were  to  be  found  in  the  temple  and  village. 
The  Frenchman  whom  M.  d'Iberville"  left  there 
to  learn  the  language,  told  me  that  on  the  death  of 
the  laft  chief,  they  put  to  death  two  women,  three 
men  and  three  children  ;  they  ftrangled  them  with 
a  bowftring,  and  this  cruel  ceremony  was  performed 
with  great  pomp,  thefe  wretched  victims  deeming 
themfelves  greatly  honored  to  accompany  their 
chief  by  a  violent  death.  There  were  only  feven  for 
the  great  chief  who  died  one  month  before.  His 
wife,  better  advifed  than  the  others,  did  not  wifh  to 
follow  him,  and  began  to  weep  when  they  wifhed 
to  oblige  her  to  accompany  her  hufband.  Mr.  de 
Montigni,  who  has  left  this  country  to  go  to  Siam, 
being  informed  of  what  they  were  accuftomed  to 
do,  made  them  promife  not  to  put  any  one  to  death. 
As  a  pledge  of  their  word  they  gave  him  a  little 

22  Pierre  Le  Moyne  d'lbcrvjlle,  mifled,  eftablifhed  a  colony,  which 

Ton  of  Charles  Le  Moyne,  was  born  he    left    under    the    command   of 

at  Montreal,  July  20,  1 66 1,  and  like  his   brothers,    de  Sauvolle  and  dc 

all  his  brothers  entered  the  fervice  Bienville.      He  was   the  father  of 

of  the  King.      He  ferved  firft  in  the  Louifiana,  and  made  feveral  voyages 

Indian  wars,  was  then  fcnt  by  De-  to  it  bearing  colomfts,  fupplies  and 

nonvillc,  in  1686,  to  Hudfon's  bay,  arms.       In    1706    he    failed    from 

of  which  he  was  appointed  governor.  France  with  a  large  fleet,  intended 

He  gained  fcvcral  victories  here,  and  to  attack  Charlefton,  but  flopping 

fubfequently   took   Fort  Pemaquid,  at  St.  Domingo  died  there  of  the 

and  recovered  Newfoundland.     In  yellow   fever  July  9,    1706.     It  is 

1698,    he    failed     from    Rochelle,  a  reproach  that  no  detailed  memoir 

and  difcovering  the  mouth  of  the  has   been  written  of  Ibcrville  and 

Mifliflippi,    which    La    Salle    had  his  brother  Bienville. 


Down  and  Up  the  Mi/K/Iippi.      14.1 

2  JU  •*/  X.  X  I 

female  flave  whom  they  had  refolved  to  put  to 
death  but  for  his  prohibition  :  but  to  keep  their 
curfed  cuftom  without  its  being  perceived,  the 
chief's  wife,  whom  they  call  Ouachil  Tamail,  fun- 
woman  (who  is  always  the  fitter  and  not  the  wife 
of  the  great  chief),  perfuaded  him  to  retire  to  a 
diftant  village  fo  as  not  to  have  his  head  fplit  with 
the  noife  they  would  make  in  a  ceremony  where 
all  were  to  take  part.  Mr.  de  Montigni  not  fuf- 
pecting  anything  believed  her  and  withdrew,  but 
in  his  abfence  they  put  to  death  thofe  whom  they 
believed  to  be  neceilary  to  go  to  cook  and  wait  on 
the  chief  in  the  other  world.  Only  the  old  men 
enter  the  temple  to  make  their  howlings,  fuch  as  I 
law  them  do,  after  kindling  the  fire. 

All  the  men  who  pals  before  the  temple  lay 
down  what  they  carry,  and  extend  their  arms 
towards  the  temple  with  loud  howlings,  and  if  they 
have  fmall  children  they  take  them  in  their  arms 
and  turning  towards  the  temple,  they  make  them 
touch  the  ground  three  times  with  the  forehead. 
They  make<thefe  fame  howls  when  they  pafs  before 
the  chief  or  the  woman  chief,  or  fpeak  to  them,  or 
give  them  food  or  drink  or  [a  pipe]  to  fmoke. 
The  woman  chief  has  much  ability  and  more  credit 
than  one  would  think ;  her  brother  is  no  great 
genius  He  has  remarried  nine  times  without  any 
woman  being  able  to  ftay  with  him ;  they  have  all 
left  him  and  at  prefent  he  lives  alone  by  himfelf. 

The  women  are  clothed  quite  properly  and  well 
covered  with  a  mantle  that  comes  down  below  the 
T 


142          Father  Gravier's  Voyage 

knee.  Moft  of  them  have  black  teeth,  it  is  a  beauty 
among  them.  They  blacken  them  by  chewing  the 
coal  of  tobacco,  with  the  afhes  of  which  they  rub 
the  teeth  every  morning. 

The  corn  was  not  yet  gathered  in.  The  firft 
harveft  is  made  in  thefe  parts  in  the  month  of  June ; 
and  the  fecond,  which  is  the  moft  abundant,  is  not 
made  till  the  end  of  November.  Befides  offering 
their  firft  fruits  in  the  temple  in  this  village,  the 
woman  chief  made  the  harveft  of  corn  for  the 
temple,  and  no  one  durft  refufe  what  her  emifTaries 
chofe  to  take.  This  harveft  is  made  for  the  chief 
and  the  woman  chief,  and  to  furnifh  food  to  the 
fpirits  of  the  deceafed  chiefs ;  but  all  take  part  in 
the  feaft  made  to  them  for  fix  days  with  the  ordinary 
howls,  cries  and  ceremonies,  which  they  do  not 
wifh  to  explain  to  the  miflionaries,  to  whom  for  all 
anfwer  they  fay :  Nou-kou,  that  is  to  fay,  /  do  not 
know  why  it  is  done.  All  depends  on  the  commif- 
fion  of  the  chiefs  who  have  too  great  an  intereft  in 
pafling  for  fpirits  among  their  people  to  embrace 
Chriftian  humility  fo  foon.^ 

23  The  Natchez  are  the  tribe  of  as  we  have  feen  were  vifited  by  the 
the  Lower  Miffiflippi,  belt  known  miffionary  St.  Come,  who  gained 
to  all  readers  from  the  maflacre  their  affection,  but  did  not  fucceed 
which  they  committed  on  the  in  converting  many.  After  his  death 
French  and  the  exterminating  war  no  miffionary  refided  there  to  check 
confequently  waged  againft  them,  the  injuftice  of  the  whites ;  war  en- 
Known  perhaps  to  the  Spaniards  as  fued  in  1716-23,  but  though  peace 
early  as  1560,  when  Triftan  de  was  made,  refentment  remained, 
Luna  marched  againft  them.  They  and  in  1729  they  rofe  againft  the 
are  next  mentioned  by  the  chroni-  French,  in  confequence  of  the  ty- 
clers  of  La  Salle's  expedition,  and  ranny  of  a  French  commandant. 


Down  and  Up  the  Mijfijffippi.       143 

We  left  this  village  of  the  Natchez  on  the  24th 
and  25th  of  November.  We  difcovered  the  hills 
of  the  Houmas24  on  the  fouth  of  the  Mifliffipi, 
which  forms  a  bay,  that  you  enter,  leaving  the  main 
channel  on  the  right.  It  is  a  good  league  and  a 
half  from  the  landing  to  the  village  of  the  Houmas 
by  a  bad  enough  road,  all  ups  and  downs  and  bend- 
ing half  double  in  the  canes.  The  village  is  fituated 
on  the  creft  of  a  mountain  rugged  and  precipitous 
on  all  fides.  There  are  eighty  cabins,  and  in  the 
middle  of  the  village  a  fine  level  fquare,  where  from 
morning  to  night  there  are  young  men  who  exer- 
cife  themfelves  in  running  after  a  flat  ftone  which 
they  throw  in  the  air  from  one  end  of  the  fquare  to 


The  French,  aided  by  the  Choc- 
taws,  then  attacked  them,  and  de- 
ftroyed  their  national  exiftencc. 
Many  perifhed,  many  were  taken 
and  fold  as  flaves  in  the  Weft  In- 
dies, the  reft  fled  to  the  Chickafaws, 
and  as  this  involved  them  in  war, 
retired  finally  to  the  Creeks,  where 
a  remnant  ftill  remains.  Their 
language  was  peculiar  to  themfelves, 
and  the  Taenfas.  (Du  Pratz, 
Montigni,  ar.te  p.  76.) 

24  The  Houmas  or  Oumas,  the 
tribe  here  defcribcd,  and  one  of  the 
firft  whom  any  attempt  was  made 
to  convert,  gave  flicker  in  1706  to 
the  Tonicas,  who  had  been  driven 
from  their  village  by  the  Chicka- 
faws and  Alabamas,  at  the  inftiga- 
tion  of  the  Englifh;  but  the  Tonicas 


played  the  fame  treachery  towards 
them  that  the  Taenfas  did  to  the 
Baiougoulas,  furprifing  them,  and 
killing  more  than  half  the  nation. 
The  furvivors  fled  to  the  Bayou  St. 
Jean,  which  flows  into  Lake  Pon- 
chartrain  near  the  fitc  of  New  Or- 
leans. (LaHarpc,  Journal  Hijlor- 
iquc,  100.)  Charlevoix,  in  1721, 
found  them  a  little  higher  up  (vol. 
in,  p.  436).  A  few  huts  of  this 
nation  ftill  cxift  on  the  Red  river, 
according  to  fome  accounts,  and 
below  Manchac  and  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  Attakapas,  according  to  others. 
The  name  is  Chodaw,  and  means 
red  men,  from  humma,  red  (Arcb- 
<soL  Americana,  11,  115-17);  but 
no  vocabulary  of  the  language  en- 
ables us  to  decide  to  what  divilion 
they  belonged. 


144          Father  Gravier's  Voyage 

the  other,  and  which  they  try  to  have  fall  on  two 
cylinders  that  they  roll  where  they  think  that  the 
ftone  will  fall.  The  temple  has  nothing  handfome 
but  the  veftibule  which  is  adorned  with  the  moft 
agreeable  grotefques  and  the  beft  made  almoft  that 
one  could  fee.  They  are  four  fatyrs,  two  of  whom 
are  en  boffe,  all  four  ftanding  out  from  the  wall, 
having  around  the  head,  hands  and  feet  in  bands, 
bracelets,  garters,  baldrics  and  belts,  fnakes,  mice 
and  dogs.  The  colors  are  black,  white,  red  and 
yellow,  and  fo  well  applied  and  without  confufion, 
that  it  is  a  fpectacle  that  furprifes  agreeably.  The 
old  man  who  keeps  up  the  fire  which  he  called  to 
us  louak  or  loughe  (facred  fire),  mowed  us  the  bones 
of  the  woman  chief  who  died  laft  year.  This 
woman  had  rendered  herfelf  fo  important  by  the 
blows  me  had  ftruck  againft  the  enemy,  having  led 
feveral  war  parties  in  perfon,  that  me  was  regarded 
as  an  amazon  and  as  the  miftrefs  of  the  whole  vil- 
lage, and  more  honor  was  paid  to  her  than  to  the 
great  chief.  She  had  the  firft  place  in  all  councils, 
and  when  (he  walked  fhe  was  always  preceded  by 
four  young  men  who  fang  and  danced  the  calumet  to 
her.  She  was  drefled  as  an  Amazon,  painted  her  face 
and  had  her  hair  drefled  like  the  men.  They  do  not 
make  in  this  village  any  of  all  the  howlings  ufual 
among  the  Natchez  when  they  pafs  before  the 
temple,  oppofite  which  there  is  a  chapel  fifty  feet 
long  which  Father  du  Rut  built  laft  fpring,  with  a 
large  crofs  35  or  40  feet  high,  that  he  planted  in 
the  village  fquare. 


Down  and  Up  the  MiJfiJ/ippi.      145 

Father  de  Limoges  had  arrived  there  two  or 
three  days  before  to  refide  there  and  labor  in  con- 
verting the  Houmas,  who  feem  to  me  very  docile. 
The  great  chief  is  very  reafonable  and  faid  that  he 
acknowledged  only  one  Great  Spirit  who  had  made 
all  things.  I  counted  leventy  cabins  in  the  village 
which  I  vilited  with  Father  de  Limoges,  who 
kindly  gave  me  the  firft  fruits  of  his  miffion  in  the 
baptifm  of  a  child  three  days  old  which  I  performed, 
giving  it  the  name  of  St.  Francis  Xavier,  patron  of 
the  miffion,  to  whom  God  operred  Paradife  a  few 
days  after,  that  he  might  there  labor  to  convert  his 
parents  and  countrymen. 

On  the  3d  of  December  we  celebrated  the  feaft 
of  that  great  faint  as  folemnly  as  we  could,  and  I 
fang  the  firft  high  mals  ever  heard  in  the  village. 
I  was  furprifed  at  their  little  curiofity.  If  the  Mif- 
fiffipi  is  fettled  and  this  miffion  is  not  taken  from 
us,  there  is  reafon  to  hope,  from  the  docility  of  thefe 
poor  people,  that  good  will  be  done  there.  The 
women  and  girls  there  have  more  mpdefty  than 
among  the  neighboring  nations.  God  deign  to 
convert  them  and  render  the  road  to  their  village 
impaflable  -to  certain  French  libertines.  All  that 
they  do  to  their  fick  is  to  fuck  them  till  blood 
comes.  I  faw  one  in  the  hands  of  the  old  medicine 
men  (jongleurs)  one  of  whom  whiftled  and  played 
on  a  gourd,  another  fucked,  and  another  fang  the 
fong  of  the  alligator,  the  {kin  of  which  ferved  him 
as  a  drum. 

As  they  reft  fatiffied  with  their  fquafhes  and  corn, 


146          Father  Graviers  Voyage 

of  which  they  have  plenty,  they  are  indolent  and 
feldom  go  hunting.  They  have  withal  the  re- 
putation of  being  warriors  and  being  feared  by 
neighboring  nations.  They  are  not  cruel  and  very 
far  from  putting  to  death  any  of  the  flaves  they 
make ;  as  foon  as  they  enter  the  village  the  women 
weep  over  them,  compaffionating  their  being  taken, 
and  then  treat  them  better  than  their  children. 
When  any  of  their  people  go  hunting,  the  women 
begin  to  cry  as  if  they  were  going  to  lofe  them, 
and  when  they  return  from  the  hunt  weep  with 
joy  to  fee  them  again. 

There  are  few  villages  in  France  where  there  are 
more  cocks  and  hens  than  in  that  of  the  Houmas,25 
for  they  never  kill  them,  and  will  not  even  eat  thofe 
killed  frequently  by  the  dogs.  When  you  wim  to 
get  chickens  from  them,  you  muft  not  fay  that  you 
wim  to  kill  or  eat  them,  as  they  would  be  reluctant 
to  give  them,  but  they  will  fell  them  readily  when 
they  are  not  killed  in  their  prefence,  or  when  people 
tell  them  they  carry  them  away  to  bring  them  up 
as  they  do.  The  hens  have  chickens  at  all  times, 
and  they  were  running  around  in  all  the  cabins 
in  the  month  of  December.  They  keep  warm 
in  thefe  cabins,  which  they  take  care  to  keep  clean 
and  fweep  two  or  three  times  a  day. 

The  children,  men  and  youth  are  drefTed  like  the 
Tounikas.  The  women  wear  a  fringed  robe,  which 

25  Thcfe  were  got  originally  from  this,  been  kept  as  curiofities,  or  per- 
a  veiTcl  wrecked  at  the  mouth  of  the  haps  objedb  of  fuperftition,  and  not 
Miffifiippi,  and  had,  as  we  fee  by  as  articles  of  food. 


Down  and  Up  the  Miffijfippi.       14.7 

covers  them  from  the  waift  to  below  the  knee. 
When  they  leave  their  cabins  they  put  on  a  robe  of 
mufkrat  fkins  or  turkey  feathers.  They  have  the 
face  tattoed  (pique  et  figure]  and  the  hair  plaited 
like  the  Tounika  and  Natches,  and  blacken  the 
teeth  like  them.  Although  all  Indians  are  ex- 
tremely afraid  of  cold,  at  the  leaft  froft  (for  there  is 
no  winter)  they  go  bathing,  big  and  little,  and 
come  out  of  the  water  periming  with  cold.  An 
old  man  gives  the  cry  at  day  break  when  it  freezes. 
Thefe  kinds  of  baths  fometimes  caufe  the  bloody 
flux,  which  carries  off  many.  Father  de  Limoges 
begins  to  make  himfelf  underftood  and  will  do  good 
in  that  miffion.  He  recounted  his  wreck  to  me, 
in  which  he  loft  everything,  and  the  lofs  is  more 
ferious  than  you  would  think.  More  than  one 
miffion  will  feel  it ;  it  was  by  letting  themfelves 
drift  off  in  the  current  by  night,  that  their  canoe 
ftruck  againft  a  tree  which  had  flopped  in  the 
middle  of  the  current  and  fent  it  wheeling  round 
and  turning  on  the  fide  full  of  water,  and  if  he  had 
not  quickly  caught  hold  of  the  tree,  he  would  have 
drowned  half  afleep.  He  loft  all  but  his  chalice, 
which  he  got  out  of  the  box,  I  know  not  how. 
This  is  all  that  he  could  fave,  and  it  is  a  kind  of 
miracle  that  he  faved  his  own  life,  after  ftruggling 
for  it  almoft  three  hours,  by  means  of  a  bough  of 
a  tree  borne  down  by  the  current,  to  which  he  and 
his  two  failors  clung.  He  let  the  current  carry  him 
down,  and  it  at  laft  drove  him  amore,  where  being 
without  fire  they  dried  their  clothes  in  the  wind 


Father  Gravier^s  Voyage 

and  fun  as  beft  they  could,  and  made  a  raft  of  three 
or  four  pieces  of  floating  wood  which  they  tied  to- 
gether with  ivy,  and  failed  for  three  days  on  this  new 
canoe,  always  between  two  waters,  with  nothing  to 
eat  all  the  time  but  a  little  wild  purflain  raw.  This 
beloved  miflionary  told  me  that  he  with  fruit 
thought  of  St.  Francis  Xavier  difputing  his  life  as 
many  days  with  the  waters  on  a  bit  of  plank.  On 
the  fourth  day  he  difcovered  the  fire  of  fome  Akan- 
fea  who  ^  were  hunting.  They  received  him  and 
his  companions  very  kindly,  gave  them  food  and 
took  them  to  their  village,  where  the  Father  found 
his  canoe,  which  had  caught  in  fome  drift  wood. 
He  has  fince  been  equipped  with  all  that  is  neceffary 
for  his  Houma  miffion,  from  which  I  fet  out  De- 
cember 4th,  and  after. three  leagues  fail  we  found 
on  the  north  fide  of  the  Miffiffipi  the  Red  river  of 
which  they  fpeak  fo  much.  If  the  third  attempt 
which  the  French  have  made  there  in  the  laft  feven 
or  eight  months  fucceeds,  the  mirTionaries  will  have 
apanage  to  go  there''and  vifit  various  nations  that 
line  this  river  which  runs  foutheaft ;  they  are  almoft 
all  only  little  hamlets  like  the  Natches,  which 
makes  thofe  who  wifh  to  give  great  ideas  of  all 
thefe  nations  fay  that  there  are  villages  without  end 
and  three,  four,  five  and  fix  leagues  in  extent,  wifh- 
ing  to  pafs  off  hamlets  of  three  or  four  cabins, 
feparated  from  each  other  for  the  convenience  of 
the  ground,  for  fo  many  villages  of  the  fame  nation. 
Mr.  de  Bienville26  who  has  penetrated  the  further! 

»6  Le  Moyne  de  Bienville  was  a     governor  of  Louifiana  on  the  death 
brother  of  Iberville,   and  became     of  his  brother,  Le  Moyne  de  Sau- 


Down  and  Up  the  Miffi/Tippi.      140 

*  JL/  JkJ  £  A  ~  i~  J 

told  me  that  it  was  all  overflowed  in  the  months  of 
March  and  April,  that  there  were  imall  heights 
among  the  Natchitoch  quite  thickly  peopled,  where 
the  corn  came  up  to  his  moulder. 

At  the  end  of  March  Mr.  de  St.  Denis27  is  to  go 
to  the  Kadodakio,28  and  inftead  of  going  by  the 
way  of  the  Senis,  where  the  murderers  of  Mr.  de  la 
Salle  had  retired,  he  is  to  take  the  left  and  pum  on 
to  the  Kiouahaa,29  the  'moil  remote  known,  where 
they  hope  to  find  mines.  He  is  to  be  back  here 
at  the  clofe  of  this  month,  and  if  he  does  not  find 
(liver  mines  they  have  nothing  lefs  than  what  they 


voile,  Aug.  22,  1700.  He  remained  in 
office  till  1712,  M.  du  Muys,  named 
to  fucceed  him  in  1707,  having  died 
on  the  way.  From  1712  he  was 
Lieutenant  Governor  under  La 
Mothe  Cadillac,  and  next  Governor 
under  Crozat  and  the  Miffiffippi 
Company  in  1726,  when  he  was 
fucceeded  by  M.  Perier,  but  was 
reappointed  in  1734,  and  continued 
in  office  till  after  his  futile  Chicka- 
faw  campaign  in  1739.  He  then 
returned  to  France  and  lived  to  fee 
his  native  Canada  pafs  into  the  hands 
of  England,  and  Louifiana,  founded 
and  built  up  by  himfelf  and  his  bro- 
thers, pafs  into  the  hands  of  the 
Spaniards.  He  died  at  Paris,  March 


a?  Juchereau  de  St.  Denis  was 
one  of  the  firfl  to  join  the  colony  of 
Louifiana.  In  1714  he  explored 
the  Red  River  fully,  and  the  next 
year  made  his  way  to  the  Spanifh 
pofts  to  negotiate  a  commercial 
treaty.  His  career  was  full  of  ro- 

u 


mance,  and  after  marry  ing  a  Spanifh 
lady  and  being  fent  in  chains  to 
Mexico,  he  at  laft  returnod  to  Mo- 
•bile. 

28  The  Cadodakios  or  Caddoes 
a  divifion  of  the  Texas  or  Senis,  are 
firft  mentioned  (ante  3 1  n.),  by  Jou- 
tel,  who,  p.  278,  makes  them  allies  of 
the  Aflbny,  Natfohos  and  Nachitos. 
Father    Anaftafius     alfo    defcribes 
them  (Le  Clercq  Etab.  de  la  Foi). 
They  were   then  on  Red  River, 
where  a  few  of  the  Caddoes  and 
Natchitoches   ftill  remain.      Later 
writers  fhow  their  languages  to  be 
different   (Areb<eol.  Americana^  n, 
46).     Some    have   endeavored   to 
identify  them  with  theNiflbhone  and 
Naquizcoza  and  Nazacahoz,  men- 
tioned by  the  Fidalgo  of  Elvas  as  on 
the  Daycao   river,    p.  no-2   (cd. 
1844). 

29  Kiouahaa,  compare  Cavelier's 
account   (ante  p.  74)    where   the 
Kouaras  are  mentioned, 


150          Father  Gravier^s  Voyage 

feek  in  the  fettlement  of  the  MiflifTipi,  which  over- 
flows all  the  land  for  eighty  leagues  and  more  from 
its  mouth,  except  fome  little  cantons. 

On  the  loth  we  faid  the  mafs  of  St.  Francis 
Xavier  to  begin  the  devotion  of  the  Ten  Fridays. 
The  next  day  we  reached  the  crofs  which  marks 
the  village  of  the  Baiougoula,30  on  the  north  of  the 
Miffiffipi  and  40  leagues  from  the  Houmas.  As 
the  waters  have  been  extremely  high  this  year  they 
have  undermined  the  cliff  more  than  ten  feet  along, 
fo  that  the  crofs  has  fallen  with  the  earth  that  flid 
down.  I  did  not  go  up  to  the  village  and  it  was 
only  on  my  return  from  Bilocchi  that  I  vifited  the 
Baiougoula,  who  maflacred  the  chief  of  the  Mon- 
goulacha  with  more  than  two  hundred  men  of  that 
nation,  which  was  very  friendly  to  the  French  and 
which  formed  a  village  with  the  Baiougoula  as  the 
Pioiiaroua  do  with  the  Kafkafkia.  The  blood  of 
fo  many  innocent  perfons  cries  vengeance  and  God 
begins  to  punim  them  by  famine  and  ficknefs  and 
they  muft  be  in  fear  left  the  Houmas  and  KolapifTas 
avenge  the  murder  of  all  their  allies.  I  never  faw 
anything  fo  beggarly.  I  know  fome  words  of  their 
language;  but  as  more  than  two  thirds  were  abfent 

3°  The  Baiougoulas  and  Mon-  and  almoft  all  maflacred  by  their 

goulachas  were  allies,  but  a  difpute  perfidious   guefts.     La  Harpe,  98. 

arifing  the  chief  of  the  former  plan-  Small  pox  fwept  off  many  of  the 

ned  a  maflacre  of  the  Mongoulachas  warriors,  and  in  1721  not  a  family 

and  almoft  exterminated  them,  but  of  them  was  known  to  exift.   Charle- 

the  Baiougoulas    foon  fell  a  victim  voix,  in,  436.     The  name  is  Choc- 

to  a  fimilar  aft  of  treachery  in  1 706,  taw,  and  may  be  White  oak  people, 

for  having  received  the  Tonicas  into  from  baie,  white  oak,  ogula  or  oklo, 

their   village,   they   were  furprifed  nation. 


Down  and  Up  the  MijfiJJippi.      151 

from  their  village,  whence  they  had  been  driven  by 
hunger,  I  remained  only  four  days.  They  pro- 
mifed  to  rebuild  the  chapel  and  do  all  that  I  afked, 
but  unlefs  the  chief  is  very  far  from  there,  there  is 
not  much  for  a  miffionary  to  do.  I  planted  a  large 
crofs  on  the  bank  inftead  of  that  carried  away  by 
the  waters.  They  rofe  twenty  feet  high. 

Five  leagues  below  the  village  you  find  on  the 
north  fide  a  little  arm  of  the  Miffiflipi  of  which 
Mr.  de  la  Salle  fpeaks,  which  he  fays  has  over  thirty 
fathoms  water  and  is  very  convenient  for  large  vef- 
fels ;  but  M.  de  Iberville,  who  explored  and  founded 
it,  did  not  find  water  enough  for  a  boat.  The 
more  we  approach  the  lower  end  of  the  Mifliffipi, 
the  more  we  go  eaft  and  eaft  foutheaft.  We  found 
alfo  ftronger  currents  and  wretched  cabinage,  and 
in  the  tide  waters  potter's  clay  conflantly ;  or  elfe 
you  muft  ftrike  far  into  the  woods,  which  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  penetrate  and  not  meet  cane  thickets  out  of 
which  it  is  hard  to  get. 

From  the  Natches  we  lived  entirely  on  Indian 
corn  and  a  few  fquafhes,  fince  for  fome  time  back 
we  met  in  thefe  parts  neither  buffalo,  deer  nor  bear ; 
and  if  we  found  any  buftards  or  wild  geefe,  they  were 
fo  lean  that  they  were  as  taftelefs  as  wood,  which 
makes  all  our  canoe  men  figh  often  for  the  river  of 
the  Illinois  and  the  beauty  of  the  country  and  land- 
ings and  its  plenty  of  buffalo  and  deer  and  all  forts 
of  fat  and  excellent  game.  It  is  a  long  voyage 
this  down  the  Miffifiipi,  very  tedious  and  very  dif- 


152          Father  Graviers  Voyage 

ficult,  efpecially  coming  back,  and  very  inconven- 
ient on  account  of  the  gnats  and  other  flies,  called 
maringouins,  brulots  and  mouftiques,  the  great 
rains,  the  exceffive  heats,  the  wretched  landings,  in 
mud  and  potter's  clay,  often  knee  deep,  and  for  the 
fcanty  fare.  Unleis  you  ftart  with  a  canoe  half 
loaded  with  provifions,  you  mufl  expect  to  faft  well, 
and  I  could  hardly  believe  that  our  Indians  from 
above  and  from  the  Illinois  country  will  come  here 
to  get  goods  fuch  a  diftance  with  fo  much  toil  and 
rifk.  The  periagua  of  the  Baioiigoulas  which  we 
met  did  not  make  over  three  or  four  leagues  a  day. 
They  were  badly  clothed  for  the  feafon,  for  they 
had  only  half  a  deer  (kin  to  protect  themfelves  from 
the  cold,  and  there  was  one  old  woman  fo  wretched 
that  me  had  only  a  little  mofs  to  cover  herfelf. 
Many  old  people  among  all  thefe  Indians  have  no 
other  clothing. 

At  laft,  on  the  iyth  of  December,  I  reached  the 
Fort  of  the  Miffimpi,3'  after  68  days  fail  down. 
This  firft  eftablimment  is  on  the  fouth  fide  of  the 
river,  eighteen  leagues  from  its  mouth.  There  is 
no  fort  nor  baftion,  entrenchment  or  redoubt ;  all 
confifts  of  a  battery  of  fix  guns,  fix  and  eight 
pounders,  planted  on  the  brow  of  the  bluff,  and  of 
five  or  fix  cabins  feparate  from  each  other  and  co- 
vered with  palm  leaves.  The  commandant  Mr.  de 
Bienville  has  quite  a  nice  little  houfe  there.  I  per- 

31  Fort  of  the  Miffiffippi  was,  it     thirty-eight  miles  below  the  city  of 
is  faid,    on  Poverty  Point,    about     New  Orleans. 


Down  and  Up  the  Miffiffippi.      153 

ceived  on  arriving  that  they  began  to  cry  Famine, 
and  that  the  bread  fluffs  began  to  run  out,  which 
obliged  me  to  take  to  Indian  food  fo  as  to  be  a 
burthen  to  none,  and  put  up  with  Indian  corn  with- 
out meat  or  fifh  till  the  veffels  come  which  are 
hardly  expedted  before  the  end  of  March.  If  the 
Mifliflipi  is  fettled  they  will  tranffer  the  fort,  or 
rather  they  will  build  it  at  the  Baiagoulas,  forty 
leagues  further  up,  for  the  high  waters  overflow  fo 
furiouily  here  that  they  have  been  four  months  in 
the  water  often  knee  deep  outfide  of  their  cabins, 
although  the  Indians  had  afTured  them  that  this 
place  was  never  inundated.  The  wheat  which  had 
been  planted  here  was  already  quite  high  when  the 
inundations  caufed  by  a  furious  fwell  of  the  fea  in 
the  month  of  Auguft  fwept  it  away.  The  garden 
was  hardly  more  fucceffful,  belides  there  being  a 
great  quantity  of  black  fnakes  that  eat  the  lettuces 
and  other  vegetables  off  to  the  root.  As  for  fort 
Bilocchi,  thirty  leagues  from  here,  befides  the  air 
being  better  there,  the  country  more  open,  all  kinds 
of  garden  vegetables  can  be  railed.  The  deer  are 
near  and  the  hunting  very  good ;  and  to  temper 
the  heat,  which  would  be  exceffive,  every  day  an 
hour  or  two  before  noon  there  comes  a  breeze  from 
the  fea  which  they  call  the  breeze  that  cools  the 
air.  There  is  only  the  water  that  is  not  very  good. 
It  is  a  little  fpring  that  fupplies  them ;  for  that  of 
the  bay  is  more  than  brackifh  and  is  not  drinkable. 
This  bay,  which  gives  name  to  the  fort,  takes  its 
own  from  the  Bilocchi  Indians,  who  are  neareft  to 


154          Father  Gravier's  Voyage 

it,  and  is  called  Bilocchi  bay.92  There  are  more 
than  1 20  men  in  this  fort,  which  is  very  regular, 
with  12  pieces  of  cannon  and  as  many  pedereros 
planted  on  the  baftions.  Only  boats  and  the  ferry 
boat  which  carries  only  a  hundred  tons  can  enter 
this  bay ;  fhips  cannot  come  within  five  leagues  of 
it  and  remain  at  anchor  before  an  ifland  where  there 
is  good  anchorage  and  which  is  called  Ship  ifland. 
There  is  no  port  in  all  this  country  except  Penfa- 
cola,  of  which  the  Spaniards  have  taken  pofleffion, 
and  where  they  had  fettled  only  three  weeks  before 
Mr.  d'  Iberville  reached  the  coaft.  Fort  Bilocchi 
is  only  thirty  leagues  from  the  Spanifh  fort.  The 
governor's  enterprife  fucceeded  badly  laft  year. 
Having  advanced  with  two  mips  he  was  furprifed 
to  find  four  large  vefTels  at  the  anchorage  and  a 
ftrong  garrifon  in  the  fort.  He  faid,  out  of  polite- 
nefs  to  the  officers,  that  he  was  vifiting  the  coaft  to 
drive  off  the  Englifh.  Mr.  d'  Iberville,  who  vifited 
the  MiffifTipi,  had  cautioned  them  to  act  prudently 
with  the  Spaniards  and  to  receive  the  governor  well 
if  he  came  on  board,  according  to  the  orders  which 
hehimfelfhad  received  from  the  court.  He  was 
regaled  magnificently,  Vive  le  Roy  de  France,  Vive 
leRoy  tfEfpagne,  Vive  Mr.  d  Iberville,  with  many  a 
falute  of  the  cannon,  and  on  departing  he  left  a 

3a  Bilocchi   or  Biloxi,  fo  named  almoft  as  unfucccflTul.     The  Biloxi 

from  a  tribe  fo  called,  never  rose  to  Indians     retired    to    Pearl    river, 

any  importance.     The  pofition  was  Charlevoix,    H,  449.     A  remnant 

ill  chofen;  the  ground  barren  and  is  faid  to  exift   near   Natchitochcs. 

fhips  could  not   reach  it.     It  was  Arcb<?ologta  Americana,  u,  115. 
finally  abandoned  for  a  new  Biloxi, 


Down  and  Up  the  Miffiffippi.       155 

letter  for  Mr.  d'  Iberville.  It  was  his  propofitions 
which  he  very  well  knew  would  be  laughed  at. 
He  had  hardly  left  our  fhips  when  he  was  ftruck  in 
the  open  fea  by  a  fquall,  which  made  his  {hip  open 
and  go  down.  He  efcaped  in  a  boat  with  a  few  of 
his  people  and  returned  to  our  {hips.  Our  officers 
difplaying  more  regret  than  they  felt,  received  him 
perfectly  well,  generoufly  fupplied  him  with  every- 
thing and  fent  him  back  in  a  double  floop  (cba- 
loupe  double]  with  all  the  oars  and  hats  off  to 
his  fort  at  Penfacola.  At  his  departure  he  was 
again  faluted  by  a  difcharge  of  all  our  artillery.33 
He  has  been  made  grand  mafter  of  all  the  artillery 
of  Spain,  and  his  major,  who  has  been  made  gov- 
ernor, fent  a  boat  to  Fort  Bilocchi  to  M.  de  Sauvol 
to  reclaim  ten  men  by  the  new  major,  pretending 
that  they  had  deferted,  but  at  bottom  it  was  only 
to  examine  the  fort,  which  does  not  fear  them,  and 
to  come  and  get  linen  and  goods,  for  they  lack  every- 
thing. They  bought  all  they  found  and  faid  that 
they  would  return  as  foon  as  they  knew  our  veffels 
were  in.  Although  we  were  mort  of  provifions,  at 
leaft  French  flour  (for  pork,  peas  and  beans  are  not 
fcarce  yet),  the  governor  had  the  Indian  corn  hid 
away,  and  made  French  bread  appear  throughout 
the  fort;  he  regaled  the  major  perfectly  with  poultry, 
fucking  pig  and  venifon,  madeira  wine.  The  crew 
was  regaled  in  proportion,  and  when  the  major  was 
going  they  gave  him  all  kinds  of  refremments  for 

33  Don  Andres  deArriola,  called     Enfayo  Cronolcgico,  316,  I. 
in  the  French  accounts  de  la  Riole, 


156          Father  G ranter's  Voyage 

his  return,  and  a  coftly  gun  as  a  prefent  to  the  new 
governor. 

To  go  from  here  to  Fort  Bilocchi,  you  muft  on 
ftarting  make  a  portage  of  a  good  eighth  of  a  league 
knee  deep  in  mud  and  water,  and  take  in  a  fupply 
of  water  as  much  as  you  need  to  go  to  Bilocchi, 
for  the  little  river  you  meet  a  quarter  of  a  league 
from  here  is  brackifh,  that  is  to  fay  it  is  mingled 
with  fait  water.  It  empties  into  a  lake  two 
leagues  acrofs  and  after  running  five  or  fix  leagues 
foutheaft  on  the  fea  along  the  ifles,  you  cut  north- 
weft  off  the  ifles  till  feven  leagues  from  the  fort, 
when  you  make  the  main  land  which  you  follow 
to  the  entrance  of  Bilocchi  bay,  in  fight  of  the  fort 
where  you  muft  crofs. 

I  arrived  there  on  the  ift  day  of  the  year  1700, 
and  was  well  received  by  the  governor.  I  found 
Father  du  Ru  there.  Befides  the  functions  of  mif- 
fionary  he  difcharges  alfo  thofe  of  chaplain  in  a  very 
edifying  manner.  I  fpent  only  a  week  with  him, 
and  was  eleven  days  in  getting  here  through  the 
fault  of  our  guide  who  loft  his  way,  and  made  us 
lofe  a  favorable  wind  which  would  have  brought 
us  to  the  fort  on  the  third  day,  but  after  ufing  up 
our  half  barrel  of  water  we  filled  it  with  brackim 
water,  which  troubled  my  canoe  men  much  more 
than  me,  who  accuftom  myfelf  to  drink  hardly  any 
when  traveling.  We  all  had  poor  fare,  for  we 
were  reduced  for  four  days  to  Indian  corn  alone, 
and  it  was  as  hard  too  after  boiling  all  night  in  this 
fait  water  as  when  it  was  put  into  the  kettle.  We 


Down  and  Up  the  Miffifjippi.      157 

J  JJ    •*/     A    A  -/  / 

went  on  the  Tea  or  gulf  of  Mexico,  from  ifland  to 
ifland,  and  the  further  we  failed  the  more  we  got 
affray.  In  this  extremity  with  our  water  almoft 
out  we  commended  ourfelves  to  God.  I  promifed 
to  make  a  novena  in  honor  of  St.  Francis  Xavier 
and  to  fay  mafs  in  thankfgiving  as  foon  as  I  reached 
the  fort.  The  next  day  we  reembarked  in  our  ca- 
noe, and  at  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  found 
ourfelves  at  Point  Aleri  which  we  had  doubled  four 
days  before,  whence  we  had  cut  to  the  iflands  off 
fhore.  We  had  made  two  long  croffings  of  five 
leagues  to  the  S.  S.  E.  and  in  fight  of  the  woods  of 
the  MirTiffipi.  We  at  laft,  thank  God,  entered  a 
river  where  we  quenched  our  thirft  and  which  led 
us  to  an  eighth  of  a  league  from  the  MifTiflipi, 
where  we  arrived  fafely  and  after  an  eighth  of  a 
league  portage  we  found  ourfelves  eight  leagues 
from  the  fort,  where  we  arrived  on  the  eleventh 
day  after  our  departure  from  Bilocchi.  But  for  the 
protection  of  St.  Francis  Xavier,  we  mould,  I 
believe,  have  ftill  longer  cruifed  around  without 
water.  I  fet  out  the  next  day  for  the  Baiougoulas, 
who  are  forty  leagues  higher  up ;  I  did  there  only 
a  part  of  what  I  had  hoped,  having  found  few 
people.  God  did  me  the  grace  to  [allow  me  to] 
baptize  a  little  dying  child  two  years  old,  to  which 
I  opened  heaven. 

I  have  been  back  at  this  fort  for  four  days.  The 
arrival  of  the  veflels  expected  from  day  to  day  will 
decide  me  as  to  what  I  mail  do,  whether  I  (hall 
await  the  arrival  of  Mr.  d'  Iberville  or  go  up  again 


158          Father  Gravier's  Voyage 

to  the  Illinois  by  the  firft  canoes.  No  (hip  can 
enter  the  Miffiffipi  if  it  draws  over  nine  or  ten  feet 
water,  for  there  are  only  eleven  at  the  mouth. 
The  entrance  once  pafTed,  there  is  no  fhip  but 
can  fail  far  up  the  river.  There  are  15  or  16 
fathoms  here,  moft  of  the  ketches  which  draw  only 
nine  could  go  far  up,  for  the  Englifh  veflel  which 
Mr.  d'  Iberville  found  laft  year  eight  leagues  from 
here  drew  flill  lefs.  The  captain  had  as  his  guide 
the  Relation  of  Mr.  de  la  Salle^  and  fome  other 
very  bad  memoirs  which  mention  the  mouth  of 
this  river.  This  Englimman  who  fpoke  of  it  to 
Mr.  de  Bienville  congratulated  himfelf  on  having 
been  able  to  find  the  entrance  of  the  Miffiffipi, 
about  which  one  of  thofe  that  wrote  is  an  apoflate,35 
who  prefented  to  King  William  the  Relation  of  the 
Miffiffipi  where  he  never  was,  and  after  a  thoufand 
falfehoods  and  ridiculous  boafts,  pretends  to  (how 
the  juft  claims  and  inconteftable  rights  which  King 
William  has  over  the  Miffiffipi,  6cc.  He  makes  Mr. 
de  la  Salle  appear  in  his  Relation  wounded  with  two 
balls  in  the  head,  turn  towards  the  Recollect  Father 
Anaftafe,  to  afk  him  for  abfolution  (which  he  furely 
had  not  time  to  do)  having  been  killed  ftark  dead 
without  uttering  a  word,  and  other  like  falfe  flories. 

34  The  Relation  here  referred  to         35  The  work  here  alluded  to  is 

is  not  very  evident.     La  Salle  pub-  the  Nouvelle  Decouverte  of  Henne- 

lifhed  no  account  perfonally,   and  pin,  the  fictitious  character  of  much 

Hennepin,    Tonti   and  Le  Clerq,  of  which  has  been  fhown.     There 

were  the  only  publilhed  accounts  at  is  nothing  in  his  work  to  (how  how- 

this  date.  .  ever  that  he  left  either  the  Francif- 

can  order  or  the  Catholic  church. 


Down  and  Up  the  Mi/fi/Kppi.      i  co 

-l  JJ    •*/    J.    J.  *J   S 

I  do  not  know  what  the  court  will  decide  about 
the  Miffiffipi,  if  no  filver  mines  are  found,  for  it 
does  not  feek  lands  to  cultivate.  There  are  few 
fpots  for  more  than  eighty  leagues  hence  which  are 
not  inundated  at  the  great  overflow  of  the  Miffiffipi. 
They  have  not  yet  found  the  mines  they  fought ; 
they  care  little  for  thofe  of  lead,  which, are  very 
abundant  near  the  Illinois  and  higher  up  in  the 
Miffiffipi  on  the  Scioux  fide.  There  are  indeed 
many  fouls  to  gain  to  Chrift,  along  the  Miffiffipi, 
and  ftill  more  inland  and  on  Red  river,  but  there 
are  more  people  in  the  fingle  miffion  of  the  Illinois 
than  I  have  feen  among  the  Tounika,  Baiougoula 
and  Houmas,  and  than  there  is  among  the  Biloc  • 
chis,  among  the  Colapeflas,*6  and  among  all  the 
Indians  of  Mobile  river  who-  are.  between  Fort  Bi- 
locchi  and  that  of  the  Spaniards,  and  of  the  Panfa- 
colas  This  will  not  prevent  the  miffionaries  from 
rinding  employment  in  every  village,  the  Indians 
of  which  feem  to  me  very  docile.  May  it  pleafe 
the  Lord  to  fend  them  men  whofe  zeal  will  open 
heaven  to  them  and  teach  them  the  way.  It  is  faid 
that  afcending  the  River  of  the  Mobilians,  numer- 
ous nations  are  found,  but  I  have  not  been  there. 

When  Mr.  de  la  Salle  came  by  fea  to  feek  the 
mouth  of  the  Miffiffipi  he  went  beyond  it  without 
perceiving  it,  till  he  was  fifteen  leagues  beyond, 
and  not  wifhing  to  appear  to  have  miftaken,  he 

36  The  Colapiflas  have  entirely     hear  and  fee,"  from  boklo,  to  hear, 
difappeared .  This  name  is  Choftaw     and  pi/a,  to  fee. 
and  is  faid  to  mean,  "  Thofe  who 


160          Father  Gravier's  Voyage 

pufhed  further  on  to  eighty  leagues  hence,  where 
he  built  a  fort,  and  in  the  defign  of  returning 
in  triumph  to  the  Illinois,  he  went  from  his  fort 
to  the  Senis,  inland  Indians,  and  it  was  from  their 
village  that  Mr.  Cavalier,  the  prieft,  fet  out  after 
his  brother's  tragic  death  to  return  overland  to  the 
Akanfea  and  thence  in  periaugue  to  the  Illinois  and 
at  laft  to  Kebec  whence  he  embarked  to  return  to 
France  with  four  others. 

The  Spaniards  foon  after  made  themfelves  maf- 
ters  of  Mr.  de  la  Salle's  fort,  in  which  more  than 
150  perfons  perifhed  of  famine  and  ficknefs.  The 
Spaniards  took  off  the  reft  of  the  French  whom 
they  found  there  and  then  came  to  the  Senis,  where 
they  left  twenty  men  with  three  Francifcans,  and 
whence  they  took  two  Frenchmen  whom  they 
found  and  who  are  at  prefent  at  Fort  Bilocchi.*7  It 
is  from  thefe  two  Frenchmen  that  we  have  learned 
what  became  of  the  fad  remnants  of  Mr.  de  la  Salle's 
great  equipment,  for  he  had  400  men  when  he  left 
St.  Domingo  to  feek  the  mouth  of  the  Mifliffipi. 
It  was  among  the  Senis  that  the  murderers  of  Mr. 
de  la  Salle  made  themfelves  Indians  like  them  after 
fome  of  them  had  killed  each  other. 

Here  is  exactly,  Reverend  Father,  the  details  of 

37  Thefe  were  apparently  Peter  fervice.      They    then   returned    to 

and    John    Talon,    who    reached  France  and  were  in  1704,  as  Iber-^ 

France  from  Vera  Cruz,  Sept.  14,  ville  ftates,  "dans  la  prifon  dePor- 

1698,   and   whofe   examination  is  tugal,"  whether  that  means  a  Portu- 

ftill  preferved.     Iberville  took  them  guefe  prifon  or  fome  prifon  at  Paris 

out  with  him  and  they  were   for  bearing  that  name, 
two  years  in  Louifiana  in  the  King's 


Down  and  Up  the  Mijfijfippi.      161 

my  voyage  and  all  that  I  could  learn  on  my  route, 
and  of  all  that  I  have  feen  and  remarked,  and  of  all 
that  I  have  learned  here  from  Mr.  de  Bienville, 
Mr.  d'  Iberville's  brother,  who  has  moil  explored  the 
country.  I  add  that  it  is  to  the  willows  and  not  to 
the  mulberries  that  the  filkworms  attach  themfelves 
and  make  their  cocoons  in  this  country.  They 
could  not  make  the  firft  fettlement  in  a  fpot  where 
there  are  more  mufquitoes  than  here.  They  are 
here  almoft  the  whole  year.  In  footh  they  have 
given  us  little  truce  for  feven  or  eight  days,  but  at 
this  moment  they  fting  me  in  clofe  ranks,  and  in 
the  month  of  December,  when  you  ought  not  to 
be  troubled  by  them,  there  was  fuch  a  furious 
quantity  that  I  could  not  write  a  word  without  hav- 
ing my  hands  and  face  covered,  and  it  was  impofli- 
ble  for  me  to  fleep  the  whole  night.  They  flung 
me  fo  in  one  eye  that  I  thought  I  would  lofe  it. 
The  French  of  this  fort  told  me  that  from  the 
month  of  March  there  is  fuch  a  prodigious  quantity 
that  the  air  was  darkened  with  them  and  that  they 
could  not  diflinguim  each  other  ten  paces  apart. 

I  remain  here  till  the  arrival  of  Mr.  d'  Iberville, 
as  I  am  in  fome  fort  obliged  to  ferve  as  chaplain  to 
the  French  who  are  in  this  fort  and  of  whom 
feveral  are  Canadians.  I  have  much  to  fuffer  from 
thefe  importunate  infects  till  the  month  of  May, 
and  flill  more  remounting  the  river,  fince  I  {hall 
not  be  able  to  do  fo  till  the  number  is  fo  great  that 
you  cannot  reft  by  night  nor  land  by  day  to  cook 
your  Indian  corn  without  being  devoured  by  them. 


1 62          Father  Graviers  Voyage 

BlefTed  be  God  for  all.  I  mould  be  content  with 
all,  coft  what  it  will,  provided  this  voyage  of  over 
a  thoufand  leagues  which  I  undertook  for  the  good 
of  our  upper  miffions  be  of  fome  ufe  to  them,  as 
well  as  my  delay  which  has  been  only  the  better  to 
aflure  me  of  the  truth. 

Pray  God  for  us,  Reverend  Father,  and  believe 
me  with  much  refpect  in  the  love  of  our  Lord, 
Reverend  Father, 

Your  very  humble  and 

obedient  fervant, 
JAMES  GRAVIER. 

Since  this  letter  written  a  year  ago  laft  February 
(of  this  prefent  year,  1702),  the  French  abandoned 
the  two  pofts  herein  mentioned,  on  the  Mifliffipi 
and  on  Bilocchi  bay  to  fettle  at  the  river  called 
Mobile  from  the  name  of  the  Indians  who  have 
their  village  called  Mobilians.  This  river  enters 
the  fea  fifteen  leagues  this  fide  of  Bilocchi.  There 
are  two  iflands  a  mort  diftance  from  its  mouth 
which  form  a  port  for  mips,  and  afcending  in  boats 
for  fourteen  leagues  on  the  Mobile  you  find  now  a 
regular  fort  conftrucled  by  Mr.  d'  Iberville  and 
houfes  for  the  fbldiers  and  for  fome  French  from 
Canada.  The  foil  is  very  good.  The  plan  of  a 
city  has  been  traced,  which  will  be  formed  of 
French  colonies  to  be  fent  there  if  the  court  thinks 
fit.  There  are  feveral  villages  of  Indians,  one,  two 
and  three  days'  journey  from  Fort  Mobile,  whom 


Down  and  Up  the  Mifliffippi.      163 

the  new  miflionaries  will  be  able  to  inftrudt  in  our 
holy  religion. 


NOTE. 

The  infcription  which  F.  du  Ru  put  at  the  foot  of  the  crofs  which  he 
erected  with  Mr.  d'Iberville  on  the  banks  of  the  Miffiffippi  river,  near  the 
French  fort. 

D.  O.  M. 

The  French,  as  they  had  firft:  come  here,  firft 
from  Canada  under  De  la  Salle  in  the  year  1682  : 
fecondly  from  the  fame  place  under  de  Tonty 
in  the  year  1685  ;  thirdly  from  the  feacoaft  under 
d'Iberville,  1699  ;  fourthly  from  the  fame  place 
under  the  fame  leader  in  the  year  1 700, 
planted  this  crofs  February  14  in  the  fame  year 
1 700.     At  the  foot  whereof  an  altar  being  ere&ed 
a  prieft  of  the  fociety  of  Jefus  on  the  fame  day 
and  year  faid  mafs  and  duly  confecrated 
this  enclofure  for  the  burial  of  the  dead. 


UP  THE   MISSISSIPPI, 

;  1728 


GUIGNAS'S    VOYAGE 


UP    THE    MISSISSIPPI, 

Extrad:  from  a  Letter  to  the  Marquis  de 
Beauharnais1  by  the  Reverend  Father 
Guignas,  Miffionary  of  the  Society  of 
Jefus,  dated  from  the  Miffion  of  St. 
Michael  the  Archangel,  at  Fort  Beau- 
harnais, among  the  Sioux,  May  29, 
1728. 

>,HE  Sioux  convoy1  left  the  end  of  Montreal 
Ifland  on  the  i6th  of  the  month  of  June, 
laft  year,  at  1 1  A.  M.  and  reached  Mich- 
ilimackinac   the   22d  of  the   month  of  July. 
This  poft  is  251  leagues  from  Montreal,  almoft 
due  weft,  at  45°  4601.  N.  latitude. 

i  The  ftatement  found  in  many     fcended   from    the    Governor    of 
works,  that  the  Marquis  de  Beau-     Canada." 
harnais  was  an  illegitimate  fon  of 


Louis  XIV,  is  unfounded.      The 
hufband  of  Jofephine  was  not  de- 


Under  the   command   of  the 


Sieur  de  Laperriere. 
Dot.,  ix,  1016.) 


r. 


1 68          Father  Guignais  Voyage 

We  fpent  the  reft  of  the  month  at  this  poft  in 
the  hopes  of  receiving  from  day  to  day  fome  news 
from  Montreal,  and  in  the  defign  of  ftrengthening 
ourfelves  againft  the  alleged  extreme  difficulties  of 
getting  a  free  paffage  through  the  Foxes.  At  laft, 
feeing  nothing,  we  fet  out  on  our  march  the  ift  of 
the  month  of  Auguft  and  after  73  leagues  quite 
pleafant  fail  along  the  northerly  lide  of  Lake  Michi- 
gan, running  to  the  S.  E.,  we  reached  the  Bays  On 
the  8th  of  the  fame  month  at  5$  P.  M.  This 
poft  is  at  44°  43 m.  north  latitude.  We  flopped 
there  two  days,  and  on  the  nth  in  the  morning 
we  embarked  in  a  very  great  impatience  to  reach 
the  Foxes. 

On  the  third  day  after  our  departure  from  the 
Bay,  quite  late  in  the  afternoon,  in  fact  fomewhat  in 
the  night,  the  chiefs  of  the  Puans4  came  out  three 
leagues  from  their  village  to  meet  the  French  with 
their  peace  calumets,  and  fome  bear  meat  as  a  re- 
fremment,  and  the  next  day  we  were  received  by 
that  fmall  nation  (tres  pen  nombreux]  amid  feveral 
difcharges  of  a  few  guns  and  amid  great  demon ftra- 
tions  of  joy. 

They  afked  us  with  fo  good  a  grace  to  do  them 
the  honor  to  ftay-  fome  time  with  them,  that  we 
granted  them  the  reft  of  the  day  from  noon  and 
the  following  day. 

There  may  be  in  all  in  this  village  fixty  to 
eighty  men ;  but  all  men  and  women  of  very  tall 
ftature  and  well  made.  They  are  on  the  bank  of  a 

3  Green  Bay.  4  Winnebagoes. 


Up  the  Mijfiffippi.  169 

very  pretty  little  lake,  in  a  moft  agreeable  fpot  for 
its  iiiuation  and  the  goodnefs  of  the  foil,  nineteen 
leagues  from  the  Bay  and  eight  leagues  from  the 
Foxes. 

Early  the  next  morning,  the  I5th  of  the  month 
of  Auguft,  the  convoy  prepared  to  continue  its  route 
with  quite  pleafant  weather ;  but  a  rtorm  coming 
on  in  the  afternoon,  we  arrived  quite  wet,  ftill  in 
the  rain,  at  the  cabins  of  the  Foxes,  a  nation  fo 
much  dreaded  and  really  fo  little  to  be  dreaded. 
From  all  that  we  could  fee,  it  is  compofed  of  200 
men  at  moft,  but  there  is  a  perfect  hive  of  children, 
efpecially  boys  from  ten  to  fourteen  years  old,  well 
made  and  formed.  They  are  cabined  on  a  little 
eminence  on  the  bank  of  a  fmall  river,  that  bears 
their  name,  extremely  tortuous  or  winding,  fo 
that  you  are  conftantly  boxing  the  compafs.  Yet 
it  is  apparently  quite  wide,  with  a  chain  of  hills  on 
both  fides,  but  there  is  only  one  miferable  little 
channel  amid  this  extent  of  apparent  bed,  which  is 
a  kind  of  marfh  full  of  rumes  and  wild  rice  of  almoft 
impenetrable  thicknefs.  They  have  nothing  but 
mere  bark  cabins  without  any  kind  of  palifade  or 
other  fortification.  As  foon  as  the  French  canoes 
touched  their  more,  they  ran  down  with  their  peace 
calumets  lighted  in  fpite  of  the  rain,  and  all  fmoked. 

We  ftaid  among  them  the  reft  of  this  day  and 
all  the  next,  to  know  what  were  their  defigns  and 
ideas  as  to  the  French  poft  among  the  Sioux.  The 
Sieur  Reaume,  interpreter  of  Indian  languages  at 
the  Bay,  adted  ^efficiently  there  and  with  devo 


12 


170          Father  Guignas's  Voyage 

tion  to  the  king's  fervice.  Even  if  my  teftimony, 
Sir,  fhould  be  deemed  not  impartial,  I  muft  have 
the  honor  to  tell  you  that  Rev.  Father  Chardon,  5 
an  old  miflionary,  was  of  very  great  afiiftance  there, 
and  the  prefence  of  three  miffionaries  who  were 
there,  reaflured  thefe  cut  throats  and  aflafTins  of  the 
French  more  than  all  the  fpeeches  of  the  beft  ora- 
tors could  have  done.  A  general  council  was  con- 
vened in  one  of  the  cabins,  they  were  addrefTed  in 
decent  and  friendly  terms,  and  they  replied  in  the 
fame  way.  A  final!  prefent  was  made  to  them.  In 
their  fide  they  gave  fome  quite  handfome  dimes 
lined  with  dry  meat. 

On  the  following  Sunday,  iyth  of  the  month  of 
Auguft,  very  early  in  the  morning,  Father  Chardon 
fet  out  with  Sieur  Reaume  to  return  to  the  Bay, 
and  the  Sioux  company  greatly  rejoiced  to  have  fo 
eafily  got  over  this  difficulty,  which  had  every 
where  been  reprefented  as  fo  infurmountable,  got 
under  way  to  endeavor  to  reach  its  journey's  end. 

Never  was  navigation  more  tedious  than  what 
we  fubfequently  made  from  uncertainty  as  to  our 
courfe.  No  one  knew  it,  and  we  got  aftray  every 
moment  on  water  and  on  land  for  want  of  a  guide, 
and  pilots.  We  kept  on,  as  it  were,  feeling  our 
way  for  eight  days,  for  it  was  only  on  the  9th, 
about  3  o'clock  P.  M.  that  we  arrived  by  accident, 

5  Rev.  John  B.  Chardon,  of  the  terms,  and  Charlevoix,  who  found 

Society  of  Jefus,  was  on  the  Ottawa  him   at  Green   Bay  in  1721,    docs 

miflion  in  1703,  and  at  the  Miami  the  fame.     At  the  time  of  this  nar- 

miffion   of  St.  Jofeph's   in    1711.  rative  he  muft   have    been   nearly 

Father  Mareft  fpeaks  of  him  in  high  thirty  years  on  the  Weftern  miflions. 


Up  the  Mi/t/ippi.  171 

believing  ourfelves  ftill  far  off,  at  the  Portage  of  the 
Ouifcoufin,  which  is  45  leagues  from  th.e  Foxes, 
counting  all  the  twifls  and  turns  of  this  abominable 
river.  This  portage  is  half  a  league  in  length,  and 
half  of  that  is  a  kind  of  marfh  full  of  mud. 

The  Ouifcoufin  is  quite  a  handfome  river,  but 
far  below  what  we  had  been  told,  apparently 
as  thofe  who  gave  the  defcription  of  it  in  Canada 
faw  it  only  in  the  high  waters  of  fpring.  It  is  a 
fhallow  river  on  a  bed  of  quickfand  which  forms 
bars  almoft  everywhere,  and  thefe  often  change 
place.  Its  mores  are  either  fteep,  bare  mountains, 
or  low  points  with  fandy  bafe.  Its  courfe  is  from 
N.  E.  to  S.  W.  From  the  portage  to  its  mouth  in 
the  MifTnTipi,  I  eftimated  38  leagues.  The  port- 
age is  at  43°  2401.  north  latitude. 

The  MifTifTipi  from  the  mouth  of  the  Ouifcoufin 
afcending  goes  northweft.  This  beautiful  river 
extends  between  two  chains  of  high,  bare  and  very 
fterile  mountains,  conftantly  a  league,  three  quar- 
ters of  a  league,  or  where  it  is  narrowed  half  a 
league  apart.  Its  centre  is  occupied  by  a  chain  of 
well  wooded  iflands,  fo  that  regarding  from  the 
heights  above,  you  would  think  you  faw  an  endlefs 
valley  watered  on  the  right  and  left  by  two  large 
rivers ;  fometimes,  too,  you  could  difcern  no  river. 
Thefe  iflands  are  overflowed  every  year  and  would 
be  adapted  to  raifing  rice.  Fifty-eight  leagues 
from  the  mouth  of  the  Ouifcoufin,  according  to 
my  calculation,  afcending  the  MifTnTipi  is  •  Lake 
Pepin,  which  is  nothing  elfe  but  the  river  itfelf, 


172  Father  Guignass  Voyage 

deftitute  of  iflands  at  that  point,  where  it  may  be 
half  a  league  wide.  This  river  in  what  I  traverfed 
of  it  is  fhallow  and  has  fhoals  in  feveral  places,  be- 
cauie  its  bed  is  a  moving  fand,  like  that  of  the 
Ouifcoufin. 

On  the  i  jth  of  September,  1727,  at  noon,  we 
reached  this  lake,  which  had  been  chofen  as  the 
bourne  of  our  voyage.  We  planted  ourfelves  on 
the  more  about  the  middle  of  the  north  fide  on  a 
Jow  point  where  the  foil  is  excellent.  The  wood 
is  very  denfe  there,  but  it  is  already  thinned  in  con- 
fequence  of  the  rigor  and  length  of  the  winter, 
which  has  been  fevere  for  the  climate,  for  we  are 
here  on  the  parallel  of  43°  41  m.  It  is  true  that  the 
difference  of  the  winter  is  great  compared  to  that 
at  Quebec  and  Montreal ;  for  all  that  fome  poor 
judges  fay. 

From  the  day  after  our  landing  we  put  our  axes 
to  the  wood;  on  the  fourth  day  following  the  fort 
was  entirely  finished.6  It  is  a  fquare  plat  of  i  oo  feet, 
furrounded  by  pickets  twelve  feet  long  with  two 
good  baftions.  For  fo  fmall  a  fpace  there  are  large 
buildings,  quite  diftinct  and  not  huddled  together, 
each  30,  38  and  25  feet  long  by  16  feet  wide.  All 
would  go  well  there  if  the  fpot  were  not  inundated  ; 
but  this  year  on  the  i5th  of  the  month  of  April, 
we  were  obliged  to  camp  out,  and  the  water  afcended 

6  Perrot  took  poflcflion  of  Lake  exiftence  of  a  Fort  Perrot  at  this 

Pepin,  May  8,    1689  (fee  Aft  in  time,  but  his  trading  poft  was  ef- 

JV.   Y.  Col.   Doe.,  ix,   418),    Le  tablifhed  at  a  later  date  in  all  pro- 

Sueur  and    the  Rev.  J.  J.   Mareft  bability. 
being  prefent,  and  fome  fuppofe  the 


%  Up  the  Mifijfippi.  173 

to  the  height  of  two  feet  eight  inches,  in  the  houfes, 
and  it  is  idle  to  fay  that  it  was  the  quantity  of 
fnow  that  fell  this  year.  The  fnow  in  the  vicinity 
had  melted  long  before,  and  there  was  abfolutely 
only  a  foot  and  a  half  from  the  8th  of  February  to 
the  1 5th  of  March,  all  the  reft  of  the  winter  you 
could  not  ufe  fnow  moes. 

I  have  great  reafon  to  think  that  this  fpot  is  in- 
undated more  or  lefs  every  year ;  I  have  always 
thought  fo;  but  they  were  not  obliged  to  believe 
me,  as  old  people  who  faid  they  had  lived  fifteen  or 
twenty  years,  declared  that  it  was  never  overflowed. 
We  could  not  enter  our  much  devaftated  houfes  till 
the  3Oth  of  the  fame  month  of  April  and  the  dif- 
order  is  fcarcely  repaired  even  now.6 

Before  the  end  of  Odlober  all  the  houfes  were 
finifhed  and  furnimed,  and  each  one  found  himfelf 
tranquilly  lodged  at  home.  They  then  thought 
only  of  going  out  to  explore  the  neighboring  hills 
and  rivers,  to  fee  thofe  herds  of  all  kinds  of  deer,  of 
which  they  tell  fuch  ftories  in  Canada.  They  muft 
have  retired  or  diminished  greatly  fince  the  time 
that  the  old  voyageurs  left  the  country ;  they  are  no 
longer  in  fuch  great  numbers,  and  are  killed  with 
difficulty. 

After  beating  the  field  for  fome  time  all  reaflem- 
bled  at  the  fort,  and  thought  only  of  enjoying  a 
little  the  fruit  of  their  labors. 

On  the  4th  of  the  month  of  November  we  did 

6  The  waters  did  not  however     Col.  Doc,,  ix,  10,  16), 
reach  the  Fort  in  1728.     (N.  T. 

X 


174          Father  Guignas's  Voyage 

not  forget  that  it  was  the  General  birthday.7  Mafs 
was  faid  for  him  in  the  morning,  and  they  were 
well  difpofed  to  celebrate  the  day  in  the  evening, 
but  the  tardinefs  of  the  pyrotechnifts  and  the  in- 
conftancy  of  the  weather  caufed  them  to  poftpone 
the  celebration  to  the  I4th  of  the  fame  month, 
when  they  fet  off  fome  very  fine  rockets,  and  made 
the  air  ring  with  a  hundred  fhouts  of  five  le  Roy 
and  Vive  Charles  de'Beanharnois.  It  was  on  this 
occafion  that  the  wine  of  the  Sioux  was  broached ; 
it  was  par  excellence^  although  there  are  no  vines 
here  finer  than  in  Canada.  What  contributed  much 
to  the  amufement  was  the  terror  of  fome  cabins  of 
Indians,  who  were  at  the  time  around  the  fort. 
When  thefe  poor  people  faw  the  fireworks  in  the 
air,  and  the  ftars  fall  from  heaven,  the  women  and 
children  began  to  take  flight,  and  the  moft  cour- 
ageous of  the  men  to  cry  mercy  and  implore  us 
very  earneftly  to  flop  the  furprifing  play  of  that 
wonderful  medicine. 

As  foon  as  we  arrived  among  them,  they  affembled 
in  a  few  days  around  the  French  fort  to  the  num- 
ber of  95  cabins  which  might  make  in  all  1 50  men  ; 
for  they  are  at  moft  two  men  in  their  portable  cabins 
of  drefTed  fkins,  and  in  many  there  is  only  one.  This 
is  all  that  we  have  feen  except  a  band  of  about  60 
men,  who  came  on  the  26th  of  the  month  of 
February,  who  were  of  thofe  nations  called  Sioux 
of  the  Prairies. 

At  the  end  of  November  the  Indians  fet  out  for 
their  winter  quarters  ;  they  do  not  indeed  go  far,  and 

7  Or  rather  Saints'  Day,   being     the  feaft  of  St.  Charles  Borromeo, 


Up  the  Miffiffippi.  175 

we  faw  fome  of  them  all  through  the  winter,  but 
from  the  fecond  of  the  month  of  April  laft,  when 
fome  cabins  repaiTed  here  to  go  in  fearch  of  them, 
[he]  fought  them  in  vain  during  a  week  for  more 
than  fixty  leagues  up  the  Miffiffipi.  He  arrived 
yefterday  without  any  tidings  of  them. 

Although  I  faid  above  that  the  Sioux  were 
alarmed  at  the  rockets,  which  they  took  for  new 
phenomena,  it  muft  not  be  fuppofed  from  that  they 
are  lefs  intelligent  than  other  Indians  we  know. 

They  feem  to  me  more  fo,  at  leaft  they  are  much 
gayer  and  open  apparently  and  far  more  dexterous 
thieves,  great  dancers  and  great  medicine  men. 
The  men  are  almoft  all  large  and  well  made ;  but 
the  women  are  very  ugly  and  difgufting,  which 
does  not  however  check  debauchery  among  them, 
and  is  perhaps  an  efTecl:  of  it.8 

8  Here,  moft  unfortunately,  ends  Foxes,  and  remained  a  prifoner  for 

the  extract  from  the  letter  of  Father  five   months,  narrowly   efcaping  a 

Guignas   as   preferved   among   the  death  by  torture  at  the  flake.     His 

papers  of  the  Geographer  Buache,  captors  then  took  him  to  the  Illi- 

and  now  in  the  pofleflion  of  Mr.  nois  country  and  left  him   there  on 

Brevoort.     The  fubfequent  events  parole  till  November,  1729,  when 

in  that  region  are  of  great  intereft,  they  led  him  back  to  their  town, 

and  we  are  efpecially  in  the  dark  as  Nothing  has  yet  appeared  to  {how 

to  the  movements  of  the  party  at  whether  he  then  returned  to   the 

Fort    Beauharnois.      In    fpite    of  Fort  or  whether  he  made  his  way 

Guignas' opinion  of  the  Foxes,  they  to   fome   other   French    poft.     In 

continued  hoftilities,  and  in    1728,  1736   he  again   appears   on  Lake 

the  year  of  this  letter,   de  Ligneris  Pepin  with  M.  de  St.  Pierre,  per- 

marched  againft  them.    The  traders  haps  the  fame  to  whom  Wamington 

had  previoufly  withdrawn  to  a  great  at  a  later  date  prefented  Dinwid- 

extent  from  Fort  Beauharnois,  and  die's  letter.     Father  Guignas  figned 

Father    Guignas    in    attempting  to  his  name,  Louis  Ignatius  Guignas, 

reach  the  Illinois  country  fell  into  but  I  have   found   nothing  of  his 

the  hands  of  the  Mafcoutens  and  earlier  or  later  hiftory. 
Kickapoos,    who    fided    with    the 


APPENDIX. 

FTER   the  firft  fheets  of  this  volume  were 
printed,   I  received  Thomafly's  Geologic  Pra- 
tique de  la  Loui/iane,  which  contains  the  ori- 
ginal of  the  following  extract  from  a 


Letter  of  Mr.  de  la  Salle  to  the  Marquis  de 
Seignelay. 

WESTERN  MOUTH  OF  THE  RIVER  COLBERT,  1 

March  4,  1685.      j 
My  Lord : 

....  The  feafon  being  far  advanced  and  feeing 
that  very  little  time  was  left  me  to  accompli m  the 
enterprize  I  had  undertaken,  I  refolved  to  afcend 
this  channel  of  the  river  Colbert,  rather  than  return 
to  the  more  confiderable  one,  diftant  twenty-five  or 
thirty  leagues  from  here  northwefterly,  which  we  had 
remarked  on  the  6th  of  January,  but  had  been  unable 
to  recognize,  believing  from  the  ftatement  of  the  pilots 
of  his  majefty's  veflel  and  ours,  that  we  had  not  yet 
pafled  Efpiritu  Santo  Bay  (that  of  Mobile) ;  but  at 
laft,  after  constantly  coafting  along  very  near  land  and 
in  good  weather,  the  latitude  made  us  perceive  that 
they  were  miftaken,  and  that  what  we  had  feen  on  the 
fixth  of  January  was  in  fact  the  main  entrance  of  the 
river  that  we  were  feeking^  If  fpring  had  not  been  fo 
near,  I  would  have  gone  back.  Fear  of  fpending  the 


178  Appendix. 

reft  of  the  winter  in  running  eaftward,  from  which 
direction  the  winds  blow  almoft  conftantly,  and  drive 
the  current  weftward,  made  me  refolve  to  afcend  the 
river  here,  and  to  afk  Mr.  de  Beaulieu1  to  go  and  re- 
connoitre that  other  mouth  to  give  an  account  of  it  to 
your  Lordmip.  This  one  is  fituated  at  28°  18'  or  20' 
N.  latitude :  the  channel  is  wide  and  deep  within  the 
bar,  there  being  almoft  everywhere  five  or  fix  fathoms 
of  water.  It  is  true  that  there  are  only  two  fathoms 
on  the  higheft  bank,  at  leaft  at  this  feafon,  when  the 
river  being  frozen  in  all  its  branches  has  too  little  force 
to  clear  the  channel  and  drive  back  the  fand  which  the 
fea  continually  throws  in.  It  is  alfo  to  be  remarked 
that  when  the  wind  has  been  long  blowing  off  more, 
the  water  diminifhes  fo  that  fometimes  there  remain 
only  ten  feet  on  the  bar,  as  we  remarked  the  day  our 
four  pilots  founded  there,  of  which  they  drew  up  a 
ftatement.  But  when  the  water  is  driven  back  by 
winds  from  the  gulf,  there  is  as  much  as  thirteen  feet 
of  water,  efpecially  at  the  new  moons,  when  the  tides 
are  greateft  at  leaft  in  winter.  Thefe  two  channels 
iflue  from  a  very  long  and  very  wide  bay  into  which 
the  river  Colbert  empties.  The  water  is  as  fait  as  that 
of  the  fea.  There  is  a  tide  there,  and  as  you  cannot 
fee  acrofs,  it  was  eafy  for  me  to  be  deceived  on  landing 
and  to  take  for  fea  this  expanfe  of  fait  water,  of  which 
we  could  not  fee  the  end  and  which  I  could  not  crofs 
having  only  bark  canoes.  This  kind  of  fandy  ifland 
which  lies  between  the  fea  and  this  fait  lake,  flopping 

i  The  Count  de  Beaujeu,  who  the  St.  Louis,  bearing  the  Marmal 
bears  much  of  the  blame  of  La  Count  de  Tourville.  His  nephew, 
Salle's  difafter  (ante  p.  17,  19),  was  Daniel  Lienard  de  Beaujeu,  com- 
a  naval  officer  of  diftinclion.  At  the  manded  the  French  force  which  de- 
battle  of  La  Hogue,  he  commanded  feated  Braddock. 


Appendix.  179 

the  force  of  the  waves,  the  river  has  nothing  to  check 
its  courfe,  when  it  empties  into  it,  and  feems  to  form 
a  very  good  port.  But  the  channels  by  which  it 
reaches  the  fea  are  not  fo  healthy  on  account  of  the 
fand  that  the  wind  drives  in. 


INDEX 


ACANSEAS,  69,  72,  74,  75*, 

83. 

Akanfcas,  47. 

Akanfeas,  79,  120,  125,  126. 

Akafquy,  tribe  mentioned  by  Cave- 
lier,  39. 

Alakea,  tribe  mendoned  by  Cave- 
lier,  39. 

Alexander,  brother,  56,  83,  85. 

Alligator,  account  of,  39,  131. 

Anamis,  tribe  mentioned  by  Cavc- 
lier,  40;  village  burnt,  41. 

Apkaw,  52. 

Arkanfas  (fee  Acanfeas,  Akanfcas, 
Akanfeas,  Kappa,  Quappaws, 
Sauthouis,  &c.);  a  Dacotah  tribe, 
75»;  divifions, 76;?,  131;  driven 
from  the  Ohio,  I  zort ;  firft  vifit- 
ed  by  Marquette,  126;  byTonty 
and  Montigny,  70 ;  wafted  by 
fmall  pox,  72 ;  defcription  of 
village,  74  ;  Gravier  among  the, 
125,  131. 

Arriola,  Don  Andres,  vifits  French, 
154;  accident  to,  155. 

Aflinais  or  Senis,  Texas  Indians,  31. 

Afliniboils,  account  of,  1 06. 

Aveneau,  Rev.  Claude,  115,  n6». 

Ayavois  (lowas),  101-107. 


t>  AHAMOS,  Texas  Indians,  2i/r. 
*~*  Baiougoulas,  account  of,  150/1?; 

maflacre    Mongoulachas,     1 50 ; 

promife  to  rebuild  chapel,  151  ; 

cuftoms  of,   152;  Gravier  bap- 
tizes a  child  of  the,  157. 
Barr,  Capt.,  enters  the  Mifliffippi, 

158. 
Bear,  Illinois  chief,  oppofes  Mon- 

tigni,  6 1. 

Beauharnois,  Marquis  de,  167. 
Beaujeu,  Count  de,  commands  fleet 

carry  ing  La  Salle,  17,  178;  leaves 

him,   19. 

Beaulieu,  M.  de,  178. 
Bergier,  Rev.  J.,  fketch  of,  i  ijn.  ; 

at  Tamarois,  117. 
Beftikwi  (Piftakee),  51. 
Bienville,  M.  de,  notice  of,  148*. 
Bilocchi  Indians,  153,  154/7. 
Biloxi,9i,i5o;  new  and  old,  I54».; 

Gravier's  vifit  to,  156. 
Black  river,  97^. 
Blue  or  Blue  Earth  River,  101-2. 
Bon  Secours  River,  97. 
Bracamos,  Texas  Indians,  attack  La 

Salle,  20, 30 ;  make  peace,  21,22. 
Buache,  I75». 
Buffalo  river,  97^. 
Buinateau,  Rev.  J.,  53»,  53,  64. 


l82 


Index. 


/^ADDODAQUIOS,  149. 

^*  Cadogdachos,  Texas  Indians, 
31*,  149. 

Cahokias,  49,  62,  66-7,  118. 

Cailliere,  Chev,  de  la,  90. 

Calumet,  dance  of,  71;  Gravier's 
account  of?  1 28-9  ;  meaning  of 
word,  130. 

Canohatinno,  36*1. 

Caoukias,  62,  66-7. 

Cap  St.  Antoine,  68. 

Cape  St.  Croix,  119. 

Carancagues,  deftroy  LaSalle's  party 
in  Texas,  42^. 

Carrechias  (Cahokias),  62,  66-7. 

Cafquinambo  (Tenneflee),  124. 

Catillon,  on  Texan  pearls,  23. 

Cavelier,  Rev.  John,  notice  of,  1 50 ; 
his  account  of  La  Salle's  laft  voy- 
age, 1 3-42 ;  JoutePs  remarks  on, 
29  ;  Gravier's  allufion  to,  160. 

Cavelier,  Robert,  fee  La  Salle  (de). 

Cavvechias  (i.  e.  Cahokias),  66. 

Chabot,  Pierre,  122. 

Champigny,  M.  de,  90. 

Chaouanoua  (Shawnees),  120,  125. 

Charanon  (Shawnee),  6oa,  66. 

Charbonneau,  57,  64. 

Chardon,  Rev  J.  B.,  170. 

Chefde-bois,  roadflead  near  Ro- 
chelle,  17. 

Chegoimegon,  89^. 

Chekaihas  (i.e. Chekachas  or  Chick- 
afaws),  60. 

Chicachas,  60,  70. 

Chicago,  49,  51,  84,  85,  115; 
early  notices  of,  497? ;  Jefuit  mif- 
fion  at,  53,  55,  115;  country 
from  Tamarois,  85. 

Chicagoua,   115. 

Chingouabe,  90. 

Chippeway  river,  970. 


Chippeways,  89/7,  90. 

Chouanon  (Shawnees),  66. 

Chriftinaux,  account  of,  106. 

Ciofcate,  90. 

Colapeflas,  159. 

Colbert  river,  fee  Miffiffippi,    177. 

Comanches,  93;?. 

FVAIRE,  Chevalier,   Beaujeu's 

••-'  lieutenant,  19. 

Dakotas,  89^. 

Davion,  Rev.  Anth.,  52  ;  notice  of, 

5  5»  ;  founds  Tonica  miffion,  75  j 

vifited  by  Gravier,  132;  by  St. 

Cofme,  136. 
De  Ligneris,  175^. 
Del  Norte,  Rio,  25,  z6. 
De  Muys,  M.,  54,  149*. 
Defloges,  killed  in  Texas,  20*. 
D'Iberville  expefted  at  the  mouth 

of  the  Miffiffiippi,  85. 
Dinwiddic,  175^. 
Donge,  Rev.          ,  dies  in  Louifta- 

na,  1  1  8ff. 
Douay,  Rev.  Anaftafius,  15,  42^. 

PARTHQUAKE,  70. 

•^  Englifh  among  Arkanfas,  1  26, 
Efpiritu  Santo  Bay,  18,  177, 
Efpiritu  Santo  (Galvefton)  bay,  21. 


River,  94^. 
Folles  Avoines,  48. 
Fort  Beauharnais,  167,  172. 
Fort  Bilocchi,  Gravier's  account  of, 

156;  vifit  to,  156;  abandoned, 

162. 
Fort  of  the  Miffiffippi,  account  of, 

152;  abandoned,  162. 
Fort  Mobile,  162. 
Fort  Perrot,  172*. 


Index, 


183 


Fort  Prud'homme,  why  fo  called, 

123. 
Fort  St.  Louis,  built  by  La  Salle,  20  ; 

furvivors  of  mafTacre  at,  1  60. 
Fort  of  St.  Louis  Bay,  20,  160. 
Foxes,  48  ;  Guignas's  account  of, 

169;  war  with,  175*?. 


in  Texas,  26, 
"     Grapes,  124. 

Gravier,  Rev.  James,  fketch  of, 
1  1  5#  ;  voyage  down  the  Miffif- 
fippi,  113-163;  loft  near  Biloxi, 
156. 

Green  bay,  tribes  on,  48,  168. 
Guignas,  Rev.  L.  I.,  (ketch  of,  1  75;*; 
voyage  to  Lake  Pepin,  165-175. 

LJEBAHAMOS,  zin. 

Hemme,  Louis  de,  121. 

Hennepin,  allufion  to,  158. 

Hiambouxeate  Onataba,  99. 

Hinhanetons,  Sioux,  in. 

Houmas,  143^;  miffion  founded  by 
du  Ru,  118;  his  chapel,  144; 
Gravier's  account  of  143  ;  trea- 
chery of  Tonicas  to,  8cw,  1430; 
games,  143  ;  temple,  144  ;  chief- 
tanefs,  1  44  ;  Father  de  Limoges 
begins  his  miffion,  145  ;  poultry, 
146;  cuftoms,  147;  allies  of 
Mongoulachas,  150. 

TBERVILLE,  notice  of,  i^on;  ex- 
•*•  pefted,  85;  kinfmanofLeSueur, 
89^  ;  leaves  a  man  at  Natchez, 
140;    inftrudlions   as   to   Span- 
iards, 154. 
Illinois  river,  84. 


Indian  tribes : 
Acanfeas,  69-83. 
Ahijitos,  31/7. 
Akafquy,   39, 
Alakea,  39. 

Arkanfas,  47,  69-83,  120-6. 
Affinals,  31^. 
Affinipoils,  106. 
Aflbnis,  139^. 
Ayavois-,  101-7. 
Bahamos,  2in. 
Baiougoulas,  150-2,  157. 
Bracamos,  20,  21,  30. 
Cadogdachos,  31*?,  149^. 
Cahokias,  49/7,  61-7. 
Canohatinno,  36^. 
Carancagues,  42^. 
Cafquinambo,  I24». 
Charanon,  60. 
Chicachas,  60,  70. 
Chouanon,  66. 
Chriftinaux,  106. 
Coenis,  31. 
Folles  Avoines,  48. 
Foxes,  48,  169.  I75». 
Hebahamos,  2 in. 
Houmas,  Sow,  ug,  140-150. 
Illinois,  49^. 
lowas,  101*. 
Jakous,  133. 
Kadodakio,  149. 
Kanoutinoa,  36. 
Kappas,  70. 
Karkinonpols,  60. 
Kafkalkia,  49^,  116,  150. 
Kavvkias,  61,  67. 
Kickapoos,  95,  I75». 
Kiouahaa,  149. 
Kolapiflas,  150,  159. 
Kouaras,  34/7. 
Mahas,  107. 


Index. 


Indian  tribes : 

Mantantons,  105-111. 
Mafcoutens,  50,  92,  175*?. 
Mendeouacantons,  104,  in. 
Menomonees,  48^. 
Metchigameas,  49^. 
Moingonas,  497?. 
Mongoulachas,  150. 
Motardlins,  50. 
Mouingouena,  116. 
Nacogdoches,  31/7. 
Nadocogs,  3i». 
Nagcodoches,  31^. 
Naflbnis,  311*. 
Natchitos,  149^. 
Natfohos, 
Navedachos, 
Noquets,  48. 
Ontotonta,  28^  101. 
Otoftatas,  104. 
Ottawas,  45-7. 
Ottoes,  10  in. 
Oujalefpoitous,  104,  ill. 
Oumas,  1 1 8*. 
Ounfpik,  133. 
Ozages,  74. 
Paducahs,  93. 
Palomas  or  Palonas,  38. 
Panifmaha,  28. 
Paoutees,  93. 
Peanzichias,  58. 
Penoy,  39. 
Peorias,  49^,  59 
Peouaroua,  1 1 6. 
Poutouatamis,  49. 
Puants,  48,  1 68. 
Quanoatinno,  36. 
guapaws,  70. 
Quaras,  34^. 
Quelanhubeches,  2i». 
Quinets,  z\n. 
Sacs,  49. 


Indian  tribes : 

Saflbry,  39. 

Sauteux,  90. 

Sauthouis,  76,  131. 

Senis,  3  iff,  149,  1 60. 

Shawnees,  24-9,  60,  1 20. 

Sioux,  90-3,  101-3,  1I!»  l^7' 

Sioux  of  the  Prairies,  1 74. 

Sitteoui,  131. 

Songafqui tons,  in. 

Sonontouans,  69. 

Tamarois,.  49^,  66. 

Texas,  310. 

Ticapanas,  35. 

Tintangaonghiatons,  in. 

Tipoy,  40. 

Tonica,  Toumika,  Tounika,  133 

Toriman,  76,  126,  131. 

Touchouaefmtons,  in. 

Toyengan,  76. 

Tyakappan,  35. 

Winnebagoes,  48,  1 68. 

Xaranamas,  340. 

Indians  of  Lower  Mifliffippi,  157. 
Infcription  fet  up  bylberville,  163. 
Inyanbofndata,  99. 
lowas,  101. 
Iron  mines,  122. 

TAKOU,  Indians,  133. 

J  Jefuit  miffions  ,Michilimakinac, 
46;  Green  Bay,  49;  Chicago, 
52;  Illinois,  59;  Houmas,  80. 

Joutel  cited,  1 7-42  ;  remark  on 
Cavelier,  29;*. 

ADODAKIOS,  149. 

Kankakee  river,  57. 
Kanoutinoa,  Texas  Indians,  36*. 
Kaoukia,  1 1 8 ;  fee  Cahokia. 
Kappas,  Arkanfas,  70  j  village,  72  ; 
aidLymoges,   125;  Gravier  at, 


Index, 


126;  crofs  planted  at  by  Mon- 

tigny,    126;    remember    Mar- 

quette,  128. 

Karkinonpols,  60;  fee  Cafquinambo. 
Kafkafkias,  Illinois  tribe,  49^  ;  re- 

moval of,    116;    form  a  village 

with  Peorias,  150. 
Kavvchias,  67  j  fee  Cahokias. 
Kickapoos,  join  Foxes,  175*?;  take 

Guignas  prifoner,  ib. 
Kiouahaa,  149. 

Kipikawi  or  Kipikufkwi,  50,  52. 
Kolapiflas,  allies  of  Mongoulachas, 

150,  159. 
Kouaras,  Texas  tribe,  34. 

T   A  Crofle  river,  95». 
-L'  Lake  Michigan,  47,  52,  168. 
Lake  Pepin,  98  ;  fettlement  on,  1  72. 
Lamberville,  Rev.  J.,  letter  to,  115. 
La  Perriere  eftablifhes  Fort  Beau- 

harnais,  167. 
La  Place,  100. 
La  Pointe,  Auguftin,  1  2  1  . 
La  Salle,  Robert  Cavelier  de,  fketch 

of,  1  5»  ;  his  laft  voyage,  1  3-42  ; 

mifles  mouth  of  Miffiffippi,  20  ; 

letter  to  Seignelay,  177;  builds 

fort  in  Texas,  20,  1  60  ;  attempts 

to  reach  Miffiffippi,  23  ;  reaches 

it  according   to    Cavelier,    29  ; 

fecond  expedition,  31  ;  third,  34; 

whirlpool   defcribed   by,     137; 

channel    mentioned    by,     151; 

death,  158. 
La  Vaca  river,  its  names,  2O»  ;  La 

Salle's  fort  at  mouth,  20. 
La   Violette,    marries    an   Illinois 

fquaw,  63. 

Le  Clercq  cited,  29^. 
Le  Sueur's  voyage  up  the  Miffiffippi, 

87-1  1  1  ;  account  of,  890;  1720  ; 


kinfman  of  Iberville,  ib ;  meets 

war  party,  96;  meets  Sioux,  loo; 

fettles   on   the   Mankato,    101  ; 

Tiofcate's  relatives,  107;  aflem- 

bles  Sioux,  108. 

L'huillier,  M.,  aflays  copper,  105. 
Lymoges,  Rev.  Jofeph  de*  1 1 8;  peril 

of,  125,  128,  147;  his  Houma 

miffion,  146-7. 

TV/TAHAS,  107. 

•*••*•  Mankato  river,  101. 

Mantantous  Sioux,  kill  French,  105, 
109,  no,  in. 

Marais,  or  Marays,  Rev.  •,  50, 
59.  See>  Mareft. 

Marameg  R*.,  119/7. 

Mareft,  Rev.  G.,  50,  59,  92, 1 16 ; 
follows  Kafkafkias,  1 1 7. 

Mareft,  Rev.  J.,  at  Lake  Pepin,  172. 

Marquette,  Rev.  J.,  explores  Mif- 
fiffippi, 126;  at  Arkanfas,  ib) 
vifit.recollefted,  128. 

Mafcoutins,  50,  92,  I75». 

Maflacre  river,  58. 

Matagorda  bay,  2 in. 

Mecontins,  92. 

Melwarik,  50. 

Mendeouacantons,  Sioux,  104, 10$» 
no,  in. 

Monomonees,  48^. 

Metchigamias,  or  Michigamias,  Illi- 
nois tribe,  49*7, 67, 92, 1 1 8, 1 27. 

Miamis,  river  of  the,  46 ;  hoftility 
of,  84,  85 ;  their  name  for  the 
Ohio,  1 20. 

Miaramigoua  river,  119. 

Michigan  lake,  47,  52. 

Michillimakinac,  45,  79, 115,  167$ 
Guignas  at,  168. 

Miefitgan,  lake,  47,  52. 

Milwaukee,  50. 


'  18 


i86 


Index. 


Miffigan  lake,  52. 

Miffiflippi  or  Colbert  river,  177; 
La  Salle's attempt  to  reach,  13-42; 
reaches  it,  29 ;  St.  Cofme's  voyage 
down,  4^-75  »  routes  to,  49 ; 
Le  Sueur's  voyage  up,  87-1 1 1 ; 
Gravier's  voyage  down,  1 13-164; 
Guignas's,  165-175;  St.  Cofme's 
defcription,  65 ;  Gravier's,  1 5 1-2; 
Guignas's,  171. 

MifTouri  river,  65. 

Mobile,  French  fettle  at,  162. 

Mobile  bay,  177. 

Mobilians,  159,  162. 

Moingonas,  Illinois  tribe,  49. 

Mongoulachas,  maflacred  byBaiou- 
golas,  150. 

Monjolly,  now  Mount  Jolliet,  legend 
as  to,  56. 

Montigny,  Rev.  F.  J.  de,  (ketch  of, 
52;?;  baptizes  La  Violet  te's  child, 
63 ;  letter  of,  75 ;  baptizes  a 
Tonica  chief,  78,  81  ;  falls  fick, 
82 ;  returns,  83 ;  at  Chicago, 
84 ;  crofs  planted  by,  119;  goes 
to  Siam,  140,  or  China,  52/7. 

Montreal,  167. 

Moranget,  La  Salle's  nephew,  3 1, 34 

Morfi,  Rev.  John  A.,  hiftorian  of 
Texas,  22ff. 

Motarftins  (Mafcoutins),  50. 

Mouingouena,  Illinois,  116. 

Mud  lake,  54^. 

Mufquitoes,  161. 

f^ACOGDOCHES,  Texas  In- 
•^    dians,  31^. 
Nadocogs,  Texas  Indians,  3i». 
Nagcodoches,  Texas  Indians,  3i». 
Naflbnis,  Texas  Indians,  31*7. 
Natches,   76;    flcetch    of,    1420; 
cuiloms,  82,136,  140;  language 


fame  as  Taenfas,  76,  136;  Gra- 
vier's account  of,  136. 
Navedachos,  Texas  Indians,  3i#. 


river,  69;  river  of  the 
Arkanfas,   75  ;    Gravier's  ac- 
count of,  1  20. 
Oiitotontas,  28,  101. 
Oris,  Mr.,  killed,  zoa. 
Otchagras,  48. 
Oto&ates,  101,  104,  107. 
Otontanta,  101. 
Ottawas   (Outdaois,    Outsuaoua), 

45>  47,  85. 
Ottoes,  ioi#. 
Ouabachi  (Ohio)  river,  119,  120, 

122. 

Ouacantapai,  103,  107,  109,  no. 
Ouachil   Tamail,    Natchez   chief- 

tainefs,  141. 

Ouadebatons,  Sioux,  in. 
Ouaetemanetons,  Sioux,  1  1  1  . 
Ouaepatons,  Sioux,  in. 
Ouapeontetons,  Sioux,  1  1  1  . 
Ouefconfm  (Wifconfin),  95. 
Oughetgeodatons  (Sioux),  1  1  1 
Ouifconfin,  171. 
Oujalefpoitous,  104,  107,  ill. 
Oumas,  I43».     See  Houmas. 
Oumiamis,  1  20.     See  Miamis. 
Ounfpik,  133. 
Oufitteoui,  Arkanfas,  131. 
Outagamis  (Foxes),  94,  98. 
Ozages,  74. 

PADOUCAS,  93*. 

A     Palomas  or  Palonas,  38. 
Panifmaha  (Pawnees),  28. 
Paouiongha,  Indian  name  of  Father 

de  Lymoges,  125. 
Paoutees,  93. 
Paranas,  51^. 


Index. 


i87 


Peanzichias  (Piankeftias),  58. 

Pelicans,  69. 

Penitcni  (Peorias),  65. 

Penoy,  39. 

Penfacola  fettled,  1 54. 

Peorias,  49^,  59,  65 ;  form  a  vil- 
lage with  Kalkafkias,  1 50. 

Pcouaroua,  1 50^. 

Permavevi  (Peoria),  59. 

Perrot,  not  at  Chicago,  51;?. 

Petefcouy,  51/7. 

Petit  Goave,  17,  18. 

Petrifactions,   123. 

Piefa,  66. 

Pimiteouy,  65*?. 

Pinet,  Rev.  F.,  notice  of,  53*?,  59, 
117. 

Piftakee,  Pifticoui,  51^. 

Pointe  aux  Iroquois,  45. 

Pointc  Aleri,  157, 

Pointe  Couple,  131. 

Pouteouatami,  Poux,  49,  94. 

Pfinchatons,  Sioux,  in. 

Pfmontanhinhintons,  in. 

Pfioumanitons,  in. 

Puans  (Winnebagoes),Baie  des,  48, 
94.95.  168. 

QUANOAT1NO,  36*. 
?£,  Qua  paws,  fee  Kappas. 
Quaras,  34^. 

Quebec,  78,  84,  160,  172. 
Quelanhubeches,  z\n. 
Quincapous,  92;  river  of  the,  95. 
Quinets,  z\n. 
Quiopetons,  Sioux,  in. 

ID  ACINE,  or  Root  river,  50^.. 

Racoon  river,  95^. 
Reaume,  Sieur,  169. 
Red  river,  97,  148;  tribes  on,  148. 
Regis,  St.  John  Francis,  120,  12 iff. 
Riviere  a  Mayot,   124-5  ;  why  fo 
called,  124. 


Riviere  a  la  Mine,  94. 

Riviere  aux  Ailes,  96. 

Riviere  aux  Boeufs,  93. 

Riviere  aux  Canots,  95. 

Riviere  des  Paquilinettcs,  97. 

Riviere  des  Raifins,  97. 

Riviere  Cachee,  95. 

Rochelle,  16,  91. 

Rouenfas,  Illinois  chief,  60. 

Ru,  Rev.  du,  1 1 8  ;  founds  Houma 
miffion,  144;  at  Fort  Biloxi, 
156}  infcription  fet  up  by,  163. 

CT.  Cofme,  Rev.  J.  F.  B.  de,  no- 

^  tice  of,  45ff. ;  Voyage  down  the 
Miffiffippi,  43-75 ;  returns  to 
fearch  for  loft  boy,  55,  85  ;  at 
Tamarois,  84-5  ;  Natchez,  136. 

St  Croix  river,  100. 

St.  Denis,  Juchereau  de,  149. 

St.  Francis  river,  125. 

St.  Jofeph's  river  (Ohio),  1 20. 

St.  Louis  (Matagorda)  bay,  21. 

St.  Michael,  miffion  of,  167. 

St.  Peter's  river,  101. 

St.  Pierre,  M.  de,  at  Lake  Pepin, 

175- 

Salt  river,  93^. 
Sangieftas,  92. 
Saquis  (Sacs),  94. 
Saffbry  Indians,  39. 
Sauteux  (Chippewas),  89,  90, 
Sauthouis  (  Atotchafi,  Ofotonoy,  &c) 

Arkanfas  Indians,  76,  131. 
Scioux  (Dakotas),  90-3  ;  divifions, 

101-2,  in,  174;  manners,  103; 

miffion,  167. 

Senis,  La  Salle  vifits,  31,  1 60 ;  di- 
vifions, 3  iff;  reception  of  Cave- 

lier,  41. 
Shawnees,  lead  La  Salle  to  the  Mif- 

fiffippi,  24,  29 ;  on  the  Tennef- 

fee,  1 20 ;  fee  60,  66. 


i88 


Index. 


Ship  ifland,  154, 
Silkworms,  101. 
Sitteoui,  Arkanfas,  131. 
Small  pox,  72. 
Songafquitons,  Sioux,  1 1 1 , 
Sonontouans  (Senecas),  69. 
Spaniards,  early  traces  in  Texas,  21} 
Spanifh,  Indians  fpeaking,  37. 
Stag  iftand,  56. 

*TPAENSAS,  76,  8 1 ;  temple,  77; 
A    cuftoms,  77,  82,  86;  good  to 

be  done,   84 ;  language  fame  as 

Natchez,  76,  136;  temple  burnt, 

137;  cruelties,  137. 
Talon,  Peter  and  John,  furvivors 

of  La  Salle's  party,  160. 
Tamarois,  Illinois  tribe,   49*,  66, 

67, 92;  St.  Cofme  founds  miffion 

at,  76,  84;    large  village,    84; 

Scioux  killed  at,  93  ;  Pinet  and 

Bergier  at,  117,  118. 
Tamarouha,  Tamarois,  1 1 7. 
Taogarois  or  Taogria,  1 24. 
Tealilu  (Theakiki)  river,  57. 
Tenneflee  river,  I  zon,  1 24/7. 
Texas,  La  Salle  lands  in,  19;  fort 

in  20;  winds,   22;  pearls,   23  ; 

hoftility  of  Indians,  26 ;  Indians, 

31*. 
Thaumur  de  la  Source,  86» ;  Letter 

of,  79 ;  at  Tamarois,  85. 
Ticapanas,  or  Tyakappan,  35. 


Tintangaonghiatons,  m. 

Tiofcate,  death  of  90;  relatives 
meet  Le  Sueur,  107. 

Tipoy  Indians,  40. 

Tivet,  complains  to  Tonty,  62. 

Tonicas,  early  notice  of,  8o».;  mif- 
fion at,  75,  8 1 ;  cuftoms,  77,  80, 
85,  133;  baptifm  of  chief,  78, 
81;  foil  and  climate,  78,  80, 
135;  good  to  be  done,  84 ; 
Gravierat,  132;  St. Cofme,  136. 

Tonty,  Henry  de,  accompanies 
Montigny,  46;  eulogium,  47; 
overawes  the  Bear,  61 ;  accufed 
by  Indians,  62;  work  afcribed  to, 

'39- 
Toriman,  Arkanfas,76;  chief  meets 

Gravier,  126,  131. 
Touchouaefintons,  1 1 1 . 
Toumika,  131;  fee  Tonica. 
Tounika,  132;  fee  Tonica. 
Tourima,  131;  fee  Toriman. 
Toyengan,     Tongenga,    Topinga, 

Arkanfas,  76. 

yiNCENNES,   Sie'ur  de,  with 
St.  Cofme,  46,  50. 

V\7"ABACHE  (Ohio),  69. 

Wazi  Ozu,  97. 

Winnebagoes  or  Puants,  48,  168. 
Wifconfin  river,  49,  95,  171. 

VARANAMES,  34*. 


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